


A kiss of life

by Konwaliawrites



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Cliche stargazing, Demigod AU, Hours of research went into this one, It starts sad but it is fluffy I promise, M/M, Mostly Chinese and Greek, Mythology References, Sad with a Happy Ending, Slow Romance, Sonadow - Freeform, Sonic you irresponsible dork, Trauma, alcohol consumption, it will all make sense in the end, one sentence mention of Blazouge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-06-20 19:58:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15541863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Konwaliawrites/pseuds/Konwaliawrites
Summary: Shadow the Hedgehog is tired of his immortality, believing he's already seen everything there is to see about the world and its inhabitants. However, it turns out that after two hundred years Mobius can still hold some surprises, like messages in a bottle. /Sonadow





	1. Message in a bottle

The black hedgehog stood in front of the shore, his focus drawn to the waves as their voice roared throughout the landscape like a siren’s song. Delightful, nearly crystal clear water soothed his senses. The sun was close to setting — peach melting into lilac and even fuchsia on the sky above being proof of that.

 

The world could be so beautiful.

 

And this was exactly why he didn’t belong in it.

 

He didn’t come here to admire this scenery and he certainly didn’t come here to soothe his tired mind.

 

Not at all. In fact — he came here to die.

 

Shadow stared at a handful of pills in his hand. Demigod or not, this amount, if taken, _will_ put an end to his seemingly endless life. The soft breeze stroking his quills felt so therapeutic, to the point where it made him doubt his decision.

 

For centuries, he has been observing Mobius go round. He’s seen wars, festivals, beginnings and ends.

 

And it took him two centuries and losing the one dearest to him to realize that the immortal ones don’t have a place in this fragile world. It breaks far too easily; one could compare the place he lives in to a snowflake, with its beauty and uniqueness, but surviving for far not long enough to be observed and cherished for more than several seconds.

 

Plants wither, rain dries, snow melts….

Skin breaches, bones break, people live… and die.

Except for him.

 

The dark hedgehog kneeled down before the calm sea and put his gloved hand inside the water, feeling the softness and moisture embracing his palm through the fabric of his glove. The water was slightly cold, but still pleasant to touch.

 

It was then that he noticed a strange item lying to his right on the shore. A… bottle?

 

Not only that -- the olive green bottle seemed to have a piece of paper inside it and the lid was covered with a corkscrew. That was strange, but at the same time, it perked up his curiosity.

 

Shadow lifted his left hand from the water and grabbed the bottle, insistent on inspecting it.

It looked like there was something written on the paper inside, but he obviously couldn’t make out much sense of it before he takes said paper out.

 

Once again, he stared back at his pills in the other hand.

Shouldn’t two centuries be enough to get rid of that stupid will to explore, observe… to live? His curiosity regarding mortal beings and their everyday lives should be more than sated by now.

 

But for some reason, it wasn’t.

 

As stupid and irrational and impossible as it was, he really wanted to belong in this world. He wanted to be happy, like everyone else is. He wanted to wither like an ephemeral plant — enjoy what this beautiful planet has to offer for a short while; bloom with joy, spread graceful petals of happiness — and once the time comes, wither and become one with the earth, much like the roots of a golden aspen, with their glowing, warm leaves.

 

He put gray pills back in the box and decided to examine the paper hidden inside the mysterious bottle, careful not to touch it with his damp hand.

Much to his surprise — upon unfolding it it turned out to not be just a random piece of text. It was a letter.

His eyes read carefully through the neat handwriting.

 

_To whoever receives this,_

 

_Hi, nice to meet you! I’m Sonic the Hedgehog and I’m writing to you all the way from Christmas Island!_

_How’s life treating you? I hope everything’s going okay wherever this bottle is right now._

_It’s funny how much we can achieve just by living under the same sky. Even though I don’t know you and you don’t know me, it feels like we are not so distant._

_It seems fun to meet someone from most probably far away, so...  maybe you’d like to be my friend? See the back of this page for my address! I hope we can become great friends!_

 

_Best regards,_

_Sonic the Hedgehog_

 

Shadow the Hedgehog peered in disbelief at what — in his opinion — was one of the biggest acts of stupidity he has seen in living beings so far. Not to mention it came from one of his kind, too.

 

He couldn’t help but grunt once he recollected himself.

 

‘Who in their right mind would give out their address like that?!’ Shadow couldn’t help but wonder. He scratched his ear to ease the discomfort he felt.

 

The striped hedgehog flipped the page and indeed -- there was an address at the back.

He stared and stared as he was unsure of what to do with the letter. Should he reply? Should he throw it away?

The latter seemed like a wise thing to do, since it might as well be a trap -- who knows what said Sonic can do if Shadow shares his whereabouts with them….

Then again, he will most probably be gone by the time the other hedgehog tries anything.

 

“Fine, hedgehog,” the dark hedgehog spoke quietly while looking at the letter, “Let’s play your little game.”

 

Shadow headed home and this time, instead of a lethal dose of pills, a dripping green bottle was stuck in his grasp.

Back at his small, wooden cottage, the dark hedgehog rolled down the blinds and sat down on his bed. He felt like a total embarrassment.

“This is ridiculous,” he said to himself, “I’m acting like a five year old….”

Despite that, he still got up from the bed, walked to his desk and began writing.

 

_Hello Sonic,_

_I would say it’s not very wise to just give your address away like this. What if someone dangerous picked up the bottle? I must admit, your plan was downright stupid._

_Shadow the Hedgehog_

 

A simple message soon found itself in a tiny envelope with Sonic and Shadow’s addresses on it.

 

When he woke up the next day, the first thing he did after eating breakfast was go to the post office to send the envelope.

Once the letter was sent, the black hedgehog stepped out of the post office building, and immediately caught himself wondering if he’s going to get a reply from the other hedgehog.

‘This is stupid,’ Shadow tried silencing his mind as he made his way back to his cottage, ‘My message was plain and simple, there’s no way they will want to play pen pal games after that.’

 

And yet — days crawled by and the dark hedgehog couldn’t stop thinking about it. He didn’t even try to commit suicide again after this, much to his surprise. He was supposed to teach the other hedgehog a lesson and then proceed with his plan, but… he couldn’t help but wait one more day everyday, just to see if maybe he will get a response after all.

 

He knew it was weird. And ridiculous. But still… waiting like this somehow gave him a sense of purpose. He wasn’t happy in any way, but blank days basked in the summer glow and nostalgic, starry evenings suddenly held some kind of excitement for the next day. Just tiny sparks of it, but still. And to think that it was coming simply from looking forward to something that might never happen.

 

On the thirteenth day from sending his letter, though, it happened.

 

Shadow checked his letterbox in the morning, which became routine by this point. His breath hitched in his throat when he noticed an envelope in there — from none other than Sonic the Hedgehog.

He picked the item up quickly and went back inside to sit on the couch in his tiny, old styled living room.

 

_Hi Shadow,_

 

_Well, I guess then it’s good that my letter happened to reach someone who’s not dangerous, right? I’m a pretty optimistic guy, I’m just glad we met!_

_So, do you want to be my friend?_

 

_Take care,_

_Sonic_

_PS.: Do you also dislike the way your quills look after blow-drying? I look absolutely ridiculous with my quills pointing upward like that!_

 

A small smile Shadow tried to surpass still made its way to his face, despite his best efforts.

He’s been living on Mobius for over two-hundred years by now. He’s met both mobians and humans. Some of them were kind and pure, some of them were rotten to the bone, some in-between — each person’s personality was completely unique, like the colors in a painting, which led the obsidian hedgehog to believe that by this point he remembered all the hues and their shades that there are to one’s personality.

 

But this hedgehog… this hedgehog was definitely something else.

 

Once again, the dark hedgehog decided to reply.

Black pen ink flowed onto the paper as he sat in his bedroom, conveying his thoughts to the intriguing stranger as he wrote, the letters of each word connecting gracefully.

 

_Hello Sonic,_

 

_‘I’m just glad we met’, huh? I guess that is one way to look at it, although I still applaud your stupidity._

_‘Friend’ is a strong word, but I don’t see any harm coming from exchanging letters with you._

_As for the quill issue… I cannot really relate, my quills are always pointed upward. My bad._

_I guess I’ll be looking forward to your reply, then?_

 

_Best regards,_

_Shadow_

 

He wrapped the letter neatly in an envelope and made his way to the post office. Summer’s heat was spreading its wings over the world, making it difficult to breathe and yet, despite these uncomfortable circumstances, a strange sensation of relief filled his heart.

 

Shadow was fully aware that what he was partaking in was strange. And preposterous, and immature, and whatever else one could call it. And yet, it gave him a sense of purpose. He wanted to follow this path for just a bit longer and see what happens.

 

He has an infinite amount of days to spare anyway.

 

To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there we go! Loved it, hated it? Whichever it is, I'd love to hear it. I suspect another update coming pretty soon due to me having few weeks off work and feeling extra creative. Peace


	2. Chocolate

Weeks melted into months of both hedgehogs exchanging letters back and forth. Shadow couldn’t help but realize how pleasant his current life was. Perhaps pleasant enough to keep going for yet another few decades. Maybe.

 

Sonic’s letters were often ridiculous; for someone of the age of 25, he acted like a twelve-year-old at best. Well, most of the time. He was so optimistic and open it hurt, but sometimes, instead of Shadow being annoyed by the other hedgehog’s attitude, he felt as if some kind of heavy weight was lifted off his heart. And besides, Sonic could be really nice and caring, too — occasionally he was even serious when he wanted to be, though that was rarely the case.

 

Ever since Maria’s sacrifice, the dark hedgehog longed to feel the joy of life again. The slight contentment of finding a new friend could in no way compare to the beautiful rays of happiness, much like the ones of the sun, but it was something, better than nothing. If Shadow were to compare it to anything, it would probably be swimming in the ocean and feeling the soft fins of a parrotfish brushing against his skin. The feeling was calm and pleasant.

 

Autumn came at last, however it didn’t start with the forest aroma weaving in the air and a fiery glow this year; the storm roared through the seaside, sharp waves danced much like to sharp, violin bow turns of a danse macabre. The forest could be seen on the top of a cliff in the distance, a little far and yet close enough to see golden trees shiver in distress.

 

Most would say that the gleam of the lightning and never-ending tears of the cloud maiden brought a certain sense of terror into the world; however, Shadow was one of these types of people that enjoyed simply sitting with a cup of tea at home, calmly listening and understanding the wailing, broken sobs of Mobius.

 

He decided to take advantage of this day and browse through the old letters from his new friend. Colorful letter pages lay on the short but broad dark wood tea table in his living room, some accompanied by photos of an aquamarine sea, palm trees, and hoards of the red and orange Chao’s of Christmas Island, the warm glow of the candlestick on the table making Shadow sigh with fondness at the sunny hue it gave to the papers.

 

Sonic tended to write about everything, including the silliest details and things. The dark hedgehog read through the received letters once again and couldn’t help but snort at some of the sentences.

 

_‘Shadster, my toilet flooded today!’_

 

_‘Hey Shads, did you know that if you rub the bottom of your ear your eyes will stop hurting? You complain about your photophobia from time to time, so try it maybe?’_

 

_‘Hey Shady Boy, today is a very happy day! Don Fachio’s now has a ‘buy two get one free’ discount! I ended up stuffing myself with so many chili dogs. Now I feel super nauseous, though….’_

 

That and many other things the childish hedgehog wrote made Shadow roll his eyes.

 

A soft sigh left his mouth as he took the last sip of his tea. Then, he turned his attention to the clock on the wall. Tiny hands showed twelve in the afternoon.

 

“Good. That means the letterman will be here soon,” the obsidian hedgehog said to himself. He went to the kitchen to clean his now empty cup and soon after, he could hear the sound of his letterbox opening. The dark hedgehog put his cup away in the cupboard and slowly made his way out of the house.

 

Another letter from Sonic. This has become his typical Friday afternoon recently. After the first few weeks of them exchanging letters, he noticed them coming more frequently and with a priority stamp on the envelope. It was a nice gesture that Shadow couldn’t help but reciprocate.

 

As usual, he went back to the house, curious what his new acquaintance has to say this time.

Shadow sat on the couch and opened the envelope. He pulled the paper out of it and began reading, a soft smile on his face.

 

_Hiya Shads,_

 

_The seaside near your place looks awesome! You’re crazy good with photography, you know? All of these pictures just look so mesmerizing. But anyway — I’m surprised you don’t have Chao colonies like we do. Maybe they like the water better here?_

_This time, instead of sending you landscape pictures I’m including a picture of myself. It’s only fair if we know how we look like, right? No pressure, but I would be really happy if I could get a picture of you in return._

 

_How’s life been for you recently? For me it has been pretty boring this week, but at least the weather is nice. The golden glow of fall is so pretty. The leaves piling up on my doorstep, not so much, but Silver (remember him?) helped me rake the leaves today and it ended up being so much fun! We collected a huge pile we jumped in afterward. Thanks to Silver’s psychokinetic powers we could easily pile them up again when they scattered everywhere. Man, being a mobian rocks!_

_Which reminds me that I never asked about your powers, Shadow. So I’m asking now: what’s your ability? As for me, you probably already figured, but I’m super fast. Like crazy fast. Like the fastest thing alive kind of fast!_

_As always, I look forward to your reply!_

 

_P.S._

_Hey Shad, you ever wonder why humans wear so many clothes? I see a lot of humans here wearing all these warm coats and scarves. Man, I would end up a boiled hedgehog if I tried to do the same!_

 

Shadow’s smile turned into a frown when he looked at the last sentence. He remembered asking Maria the same question.

The flashback was coming to him, he could feel it, and yet he couldn’t do anything to stop it. The only thing he could do was take a shaking breath and let it happen.

 

The black hedgehog covered his ears with gloved hands.

 _Oh_ , if only it could stop these sounds in his head… if only he could stop seeing these joyful images despite his eyes being open. He longed for them so much and knowing that he will never have them again hurt too much to bear.

 

It hurt so much to acknowledge what he had lost.

 

At last, he shut his eyes in defeat. He wasn’t sitting in his living room anymore, but standing in the soft, pure white snow, helping his sister build a snowman.

 

“We need to give him a hat, Shadow! We’ll build the best sir-snowman in the village!” Her excited voice broke the silence in the air. Her face was blushing from the cold, her hat a little lopsided. Blue eyes sparkled with happiness, much like the icicles that formed on the roof of their house.

 

_Breathe in. One, two..._

 

“Why though? I don’t understand Maria, why do humans wear clothes all the time? I feel just fine without them. Is it a human fashion?” A then much younger Shadow asked, curiosity clear on both his face and in his voice.

 

Things were so easy back then. When he was still aging… when he was still just a regular hedgehog and not Shadow the Demigod.

 

Before everything he loved got taken away in the fire and stolen by the so called Flame of Hope.

 

“That’s because we don’t have fur like you do, Shadow! I mean, we do have fur, sort of, but it’s not thick enough to keep us warm,” the young girl explained, rubbing the black hedgehog's ear tenderly.

 

Shadow didn’t stop soft purrs from leaving him. He didn’t want to. However, he did focus on the fact that Maria’s answer only brought more questions regarding humans.

 

_Three, four..._

 

“But in that case, why during the summer do you say ‘Shadow, I’m way too hot! This sun will make me melt!’ if you need clothes to not feel cold?”

 

Maria looked slightly embarrassed upon hearing that question.

 

“Well, that’s because it would be weird to walk around without them…” she laughed nervously and looked away.

 

“But why? I don’t wear clothes. Am I weird?” Shadow looked a little sad all of a sudden.

 

His ruby eyes opened, but even that didn’t stop the flow of the images.

_Five… now breathe out. One..._

 

“No, that’s not it at all!” The blonde girl protested, “You see, this applies only to humans. Apart from keeping us warm on cold days, it’s also a cultural thing. Grandpa always told me it’s not polite for humans to go outside without any clothes. I guess you could say it’s like gloves for mobians.” Maria explained, hoping this time there won’t be any misunderstandings.

 

“I see… so I’m not weird?”

 

“Not at all!” Her smile was so bright.

 

“In that case — could sir snowman have gloves, too?”

 

“Sure!”

 

_Two, three..._

 

Both children played and laughed until they heard the old, warmly familiar voice coming from the front door.

 

“Shadow, Maria! I made some hot chocolate! Come inside and warm up a little, will ya?”

 

Shadow and Maria jumped with excitement at their grandfather’s announcement. The little hedgehog’s coral eyes sparkled with joy.

 

“Chocolate!” Maria happily exclaimed, turning her attention to her little brother, “Let’s go, Shadow!”

 

_Four..._

 

At that moment, Shadow felt so happy. Nothing could break him.

 

Life was so perfect with Maria and Gerald by his side. The day they adopted him into their family was one of the best days he’s ever experienced in his entire life.

 

_Five._

 

The charcoal hedgehog closed his eyes, and when they reopened, he was back in his living room. Alone.

He stared at the letter in his hands as he tried to grasp onto something to keep him in the present. He stroke the paper softly, feeling the rough texture against his gloves.

 

Then, the obsidian hedgehog remembered something important.

 

‘Right,’ he thought, ‘Sonic sent me a picture along with his letter….’

 

Gloved hands reached inside the blue envelope and found a picture of an… equally blue hedgehog.

Sonic was smiling, lush eyes focused on the camera, full of joy. His muzzle, hands, and chest had a pale beige hue that contrasted with the royal blue of his fur and quills.

In the background, an already familiar aquamarine sea could be visible, melting onto the soft, creamy sand. That, and a two-tailed yellow fox carrying a beach ball.

The dark hedgehog felt a faint blush appear on his cheeks.

 

He couldn’t help but notice that Sonic’s looks were quite appealing. The daring, adventurous smile, relaxed quills, and ears facing forward gave the other hedgehog a certain sense of charm.

 

For a second, he stared in daze at the glowing green eyes, rich and shiny much like the master emerald in the altar nearby.

 

“This is ridiculous,” Shadow said to himself in a harsh tone, “I would never be able to live it down if Sonic saw me like this….”

 

Deciding it was time to focus on anything other than Sonic’s good looks, the ebony hedgehog coughed, hid the tiny picture inside his quills and went down the corridor to his bedroom to search for his polaroid.

 

“I guess it’s only fair that he gets to see me, too….” Shadow grunted as he grabbed the desired item from the white cabinet.

 

But despite knowing that what he’s about to do now will make the other hedgehog happy and definitely not make fun of him, he felt extremely awkward. Doing things like that didn’t suit him. Sure, he enjoyed taking pictures of landscapes from time to time, but taking pictures of himself was another story.

 

The onyx hedgehog turned the camera to face him. He couldn’t see how the picture will come out like this, but worst case scenario he’ll just take another one. Too bad it will take him fifteen minutes to see it though.

 

“If Rouge saw me now, she would never stop laughing at me,” the demigod muttered out loud, forcing a somewhat neutral expression on his face instead of a frown he wanted to form so badly. He felt really, really stupid.

He focused on looking straight into the lens, then clicked the button and soon, the blank film went out of the little machine.

 

Shadow grabbed the tiny photo before it could fall down and put the polaroid back in the cabinet. He shook the little item rather violently to speed up the process of the image forming in there.

 

The sound of the rain outside helped calm his embarrassment down, and once he sat in front of the blank paper, his mind seemed to be a little bit more clear. One more lightning spark in the distance lit up the room for a split second.

 

_Hi again Sonic,_

 

_I’m glad you like the pictures I took. And, since you asked about it, I am also including a picture of myself in return._

_My week had been pretty uneventful. I have been going for walks mostly, taking some pictures from the cliff on the seaside. Capturing the beauty of nature calms me down._

_My ability is the same as yours, actually. I can also reach an extremely high speed. I don’t use it very often though, now that I think about it._

_As for your question — I think I know the answer. Since human bodies don’t have the thick, warm fur you see in mobians, they would be extremely cold while going outside._

_That, and someone I used to know mentioned that ‘it’s not polite for humans to go outside without clothes’. Maybe I’ll tell you about her more one day. Until then please don’t ask._

_The weather here seems to be the complete opposite. Right now as I’m writing, there is a huge storm happening outside, so I’ll just stay home and watch it from inside._

 

_Stay safe and enjoy your autumn,_

_Shadow_

 

Upon finishing writing, the raven hedgehog grabbed the photo. The picture had already finished forming. It could be better, but it was decent, he decided. It ended up in the white envelope along with the letter. Then, he grabbed an umbrella and stepped outside, making his way to the post office.

 

It was really pleasant outside. The smell of rain was so therapeutic, the soft sand of the beach underfoot giving such a satisfying sound… he really couldn’t understand why most people disliked the rain so much. Even though he probably shouldn’t enjoy seeing the cloud maiden cry, the soft sound of tears falling down to the earth sounded so calming to his ears.

After finishing his task of sending the letter, Shadow decided to go on with his Friday routine and headed over to Club Rouge, which was located nearby.

 

The inside of it was pretty empty, which was expected given the current weather. The black hedgehog made his way to the counter and got greeted with a smile from the female bat standing behind it.

 

“Well, hello there, Hun. I was thinking you weren’t going to show up, you know. It’s later than your usual. Pinot noir for you, I suppose?” Rouge said and gave the black hedgehog a playful wink.

 

“I had to run some errands and yeah, I would appreciate that,” Shadow said calmly.

 

A few seconds later, a glass of wine was already on the counter. The dark hedgehog grabbed the glass and started taking small sips, nice and slow, enjoying the soft taste on his tongue.

 

“Errands, you say? Alrighty, handsome. I’ll use this moment to boast with the fact that I finally managed to take Blaze out yesterday evening and it went great. Man, this girl can be really adorable when she chills out,” teal eyes sparkled with satisfaction as she spoke.

 

“Actually, let me grab some Chardonnay; can’t let my buddy drink alone, right?” The bat said and poured herself some liquid.

 

“As a bartender, shouldn’t you keep yourself sober?” Shadow commented dryly and took another sip of his wine.

 

“Hush it, Hun. I already served my client and besides, let a girl celebrate a little, no?”

 

“I guess so. Well then, I guess it calls for a toast, right?” Shadow offered and held his glass up.

 

“Definitely.”

 

Soon, there was a soft clang of two glasses touching each other briefly and Shadow smirked.

 

“For love and joy.”

 

A warm smile from Rouge was the only response.

 

“Speaking of which — how’s your love life going? Did you find any humble soul to spend a part of your life with?” She asked.

 

“No. Besides, you know very well that I cannot do that, Rouge.” The dark hedgehog’s tone was emotionless, but his eyes were filled with grief and regret.

She didn’t let that affect her, though.

 

“Of course you can. Your condition doesn’t get in the way anyhow. In fact — I know quite a bit of people that would be happy to have the same ability you do.”

 

“Well, these people clearly haven’t even walked a day in my shoes,” Shadow replied, a glare clearly visible on his features.

 

“Whatever you say. But for the love of Chaos, if I catch you blowing the chance of living happily ever after with someone, I promise you a slap to the face and the end of sympathy discounts. Actually, what’s that sticking out of your quills?” The bat asked and immediately reached for the photo in Shadow’s spikes.

 

“No, don’t! This is-!” The charcoal hedgehog made a move to stop her but she pulled away quickly, already standing out of his reach. She examined the photo, a sly grin clear as day on her face.

 

“-A picture of your loved one!” Rouge finished for him, “Why didn’t you tell me, Shadow? Man, he’s such a hottie, no wonder you have a thing for him. So, how long have you been a thing? How did you find that baby boy? I. Need. Answers.”

 

Shadow massaged the bridge of his nose with two fingers, hoping to stop the headache that was slowly starting to creep up on him. Before he opened his mouth to speak, he took a gulp of wine, much bigger than the previous sips.

 

“Okay, so first of all — we’re not even a thing. We’re just friends. Pen pals, to be exact. I didn’t find him, more like he found me. He lives on Christmas Island, we have never seen each other in person. This is the only picture I have of him and I would appreciate having it back. Does that sate your curiosity?”

 

A short chuckle could be heard from the bartender before she replied.

 

“Sorry, but not quite. Christmas Island is extremely far away, how did you get to meet this guy then? Never thought you’d be the type to use Tinder, but I guess we all change at some point and I’m pleasantly surprised with your development.” Rouge teased and finished it off with a wink.

 

Shadow stiffened at that.

“... You really don’t wanna know, trust me. Tinder would be a better alternative here.”

 

Her toothy grin said she was more than ready for a challenge.

“Try me.”

 

“... Fine. But! Two more glasses and I’ll tell you. And what’s more — these two are on you.”

 

“Oh boy, this is gonna be gold, isn’t it? Help yourself, Hun, it’s a fair price. I’ll even get you three.”

 

Four glasses of wine and one tipsy hedgehog later, Shadow was ready to spill the beans.

 

“He sent a message in a bottle with a freakin’ house address? In the summer I think it was. Iii mean who the hell does that? He’s like a, like a… blue pineapple. But a very cute one, I must admit.”

 

The bat smiled, pleased with the results. This was her chance. She let her muzzle rest on one of her palms, the other one tracing around the top of her wine glass. The ball was in the court, and now it was time to play it well.

 

“Is he, now? So, have you been constantly exchanging letters since summer? It’s been quite a while, you must have gotten so close ever since,” Rouge tried to push the topic further. She offered the other hedgehog another glass of wine, which Shadow gladly accepted and drank in one go before speaking again.

 

“Yes, we have. And he’s talking about all sorts of weird things but, but…” the striped hedgehog’s voice was raspy and he seemed to be searching for the right words, “But when I get his letters, I ffeel so mmuch betterr… But he’s so stupid, so very stupid, Rouge….”

 

“But?” The bat suggested eagerly.

 

“... But hhe’s ssooo adorable… I saw this photo today and I just, he’s so beautiful… I wanna see him Rouge… he’s so nice….”

 

There was the answer she was waiting for. It was worth wasting nearly an entire bottle of wine over.

“What stops you, then? I know you can afford a ferry to Christmas Island, rich boy. You might not want to use your fortune, but here it really could come in handy, you know. Maybe ask him next time if you could stay at his place for a few days?” At this point, Rouge wondered whether or not she was having too much fun. She couldn’t stop now, though.

 

“But…” the dark hedgehog seemed uneasy at that, “I can’t… I don’t want to lose someone I care about again….” Suddenly, Shadow threw his arms around the female bat, which took her a little off guard but she decided to not say anything. “I don’t want to, Rouge….”

 

“Oh boy, for someone so old you definitely act like a little, wasted, hopeless hedgehog right now,” Rouge laughed as she pat her friend on the back, “It’s going to be fine, I promise. You have a real chance here. Just go with the flow and see what happens.”

 

A simple nod was the only answer the Shadow gave her.

  
“Also… there’s no way you’re going home like this, I’ll lend you one of the bedrooms upstairs. Don’t puke in it or I _will_ find a way to kill you.”


	3. Stargazing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: cliché stuff happen in this chapter  
> Also: previously there was a huge demand for Sonic’s pov, and even though I usually don’t switch povs in my writing, I decided to try my best. Hope you like it :)

His head _burned._ The muscle pain was impossible to ignore as he rolled around in his bed. He still felt so tired… why did his treacherous body decide to wake him up?

 

“Hello, handsome~ would you fancy some mint-tea with ginger?”

 

Oh, that’s why. But why was Rouge hanging out at his place?

Black lids opened slowly. It was only then that he noticed that he wasn’t in his bedroom. His gloveless black hand moved up to rub his aching forehead.

 

‘Well, that explains everything. I didn’t realize I drank this much,’ Shadow thought.

 

“Yeah, I would like that. Thank you,” the dark hedgehog answered as he carefully grabbed the warm cup from his friend’s hands. The female bat sat next to him on the bed.

 

“You’re welcome. And now —question time. So, when are you going to go see Sonic?” She gave him a small smile.

 

The Demigod froze as he sipped his tea. He stayed like this for a second, his coral eyes seemingly staring at nothing in particular. Eventually, he finished his sip and recollected himself enough to reply.

“... Literally never if I may.”

 

A dry chuckle was the first response Shadow received.

 

“That’s not what you were telling me last night.”

 

Shadow frowned at this.

“I was _drunk,_ Rouge. I literally don’t recall saying something like that, ever.” He explained, hoping to change his friend’s idea of it all. He knew it was probably pointless, since Rouge never gives up once she sets her mind on something, but it was still worth a try… right?

 

“Well, it doesn’t change the fact that you did. Come on, stop running away from your feelings. What’s the worst that can happen?”

 

_Well, perhaps not worth a try after all._

 

“Me continuing my eternal damnation, except I will have to watch the person I care about die. Again.” His baritone voice was laced with sadness as he tried to make her see the logic.

 

“You know very well there is a solution to that.” The female bat’s voice suddenly came out as more serious than before and Shadow panicked. It was so rare to hear her use this tone that he knew she was definitely not just teasing this time.

 

“I won’t do this to him, Rouge. I can’t.”

 

Rouge sighed.

 

“Okay, I won’t press you further. But please go see him at least? You can’t tell me you’re not able to afford it — you have a lot of free time on your hands, too, so the only issue is you chickening out.”

 

“The money my grandfather left me is here for the purpose of making it possible for me to survive.” Shadow said defensively. He crossed his arms and looked away. His friend was clearly displeased with this attitude.

 

“Excuses. You know that he would want you to be happy.”

The charcoal hedgehog grunted at that, still not looking at her. How much he hated it when the white bat was right.

 

“Okay… I will. I’ll send him one more letter today if it’ll make you happy?”

 

Rouge smiled brightly, celebrating her win.

 

“Very. Now — go home and get him, tiger, before I remind myself that I usually charge fees for staying the night at my inn,” she gave him a playful wink and nudged his charcoal shoulder.

 

“Thanks, Rouge.”

 

Over six thousand miles away, a certain blue hedgehog was getting ready to go to sleep. The white walls of his room looked dim blue in the nightlight, color scheme of the light wood furniture appearing colder all of a sudden.

Sonic wasn’t focused on admiring his bedroom, though. He lied down on his bed and looked out the adjacent window to see the mesmerizing night sky. He pulled the gray blanket closer to his muzzle, letting himself get lost in thought.

 

Green eyes focused on Apus shining proudly on the graceful midnight blue empyrean as he recalled what his new friend had mentioned in one of his letters.

 

“From where I live, you can see Ursa Major in the sky.”

 

‘We are so far away… in more ways than one,’ Sonic thought.

 

They were so different that it surprised him that both of them managed to get along. The windy sky and the stormy sea. Blazing fire and piercing ice.

 

And yet — they found a way to understand each other. Of course, that meant occasionally some ice had to melt, or the blazing flames had to be put down, but thanks to that he had gained the trust of such a great hedgehog as Shadow.

 

Even though his decision about sending the message back then was reckless, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. A small smile bloomed on Sonic’s face as he remembered that moment.

 

The cobalt hedgehog wasn’t thinking much before he sent the bottle away.

Well, apart from how much he missed his little brother’s sunshine smile, and the way he ruffled his soft, golden fur when the other was feeling down.

 

How lonely he felt.

His face twisted from contentment to dismay.

 

Sonic the Hedgehog was a guy people liked and wanted to hang out with. He yearned interactions, laughs, friendly bumps. He thought of himself as a moth with its ash colored wings, yearning love and acceptance like the light of the kerosene lamp. Suddenly feeling alone in the world felt unbearable and he was desperate to make it stop.

 

And then, when Shadow’s reply came, Sonic wondered whether or not destiny was giving him yet another chance. It filled his heart with heat, much like that of a warm champagne.

The other had trust issues, it was clear as day since the very first reply, and yet he was making an effort of opening up to him. He smiled with fondness at the thought.

 

“What’s your story, Shadow?” the cobalt hedgehog breathed, his voice disappearing in the air.

 

The young hedgehog stayed like this for a moment until he heard a soft knock and his door creaking open a second after. As expected, it was the silhouette of a more than familiar albino hedgehog.

 

“Night, Sonic. Call me if you need me, okay? And don’t stay up late,” Silver bidded, his worried tone contrasted by his soft and compassionate expression. He always tried his best to show joy to everyone around him, even if he was uncertain inside. Sonic chuckled as he decided to not let the other know that he hadn’t fallen for his facade. Typical Silver….

 

“Sure, Silv. Sleep well. Oh, and before you go… can I ask you something?”

 

The offwhite mobian was puzzled at this but tried not to let it show.

“Yeah? Go on.”

 

“Do you ever feel sad that you can’t see Whisper everyday? She chose a life of traveling and because of that you two so rarely get a chance to see each other. Do you mind her being far from you or did you get used to it at some point?”

 

The white hedgehog shook his head.

“I do plan to answer your question, but just let me start with: why does it not surprise me that you ask me this after spending an entire week talking my ears out about your husband.”

 

“He’s not my husband!” Sonic protested, his cheeks feeling way too warm for his comfort.

 

“Well, soon to be husband, then. But, as I promised — yeah, it’s hard and sometimes I am sad. What helps me though is remembering that there is the moon above connecting us. When I look at it I feel like I’m sitting next to her. Does it help you anyhow?”

“You’re such a sap,” the blue hedgehog teased, enjoying the angry pout that came across the younger hedgehog’s face, “But yeah, it does. Thanks, Silver.” Sonic smiled fondly at his friend. He turned away from Silver and closed his eyes, “G’night.”

 

Soon, there was a clicking sound, and he was alone in the room again. He shuffled comfortably in his bed, allowing himself one more thought before drifting away.

 

_Are you staring at the moon right now, Shadow?_

 

Over in Apotos, however, said Shadow wasn’t. Mostly because across the sea it was still afternoon.

Instead, he was sitting in front of his desk, writing yet another letter to the cobalt hedgehog and feeling very awkward about it.

 

He had no idea why he let Rouge drag him into this. He stared at the blue business card of the ferry company she recommended to him. He recalled the memory of their conversation about it as his gaze pierced the small item.

 

_“Just say you got a recommendation from Rouge.”_

 

_“... how come you know literally everyone?”_

 

_“Um, hello? I own a bar on a harbor. You have no idea how many kinds of people come and go through here, sharing their life stories.”_

 

_“Okay, fair enough.”_

 

_“Actually, now that we’re on the topic of my clients’ personal lives, this one time this pink hedgehog girl came to me and started talking on and on about how she and her boyfriend-“_

 

The striped hedgehog shook his head, deciding it was enough of recalling the aforementioned situation.

He looked around his mahogany desk and quickly found a mobile phone to the right. His gloved hand grabbed the device and dialed the number from the business card.

It only took three signals to get a reply from the other side.

 

“Hello? Chaotix Ferries, how can we help you?” A low and rough, but at the same time friendly voice could be heard through the speaker.

 

“Greetings, Shadow the Hedgehog speaking. I am looking for a cruise to Christmas Island for the upcoming month and my companion Rouge mentioned I should contact you about it.”

 

“Rouge? Oh yeah, I get why, we owe her a big favor…” the other person sounded bashful all of a sudden. There was a cough before Shadow heard him continue, “Well, on the 20th of next month we plan a cruise to Christmas Island, does that sit right with you? Since it’s Rouge’s acquaintance we’re talking about, we could charge you just 1000 rings for a two-way ticket.”

 

Shadow smiled, but to be honest he was afraid to know just _what_ Rouge had done to get them behaving this way.

 

“Sounds promising… however, I still have to take care of the accommodation so I’m afraid I cannot book just yet.”

 

“Alright, no pressure. Just make sure to let us know before the end of the month, okay?”

 

“Of course. Thank you kindly.”

 

“Alright. Also when you see Rouge next time, can you tell her Vector says hi?”

 

“I don’t see why not.”

 

“Okay! Well then, we’re looking forward to hearing from you!”

 

Shadow disconnected the call and began writing.

 

_Hello Sonic,_

_You’re probably surprised to get two letters in more or less a short timespan. Sorry about that, but I had something I wanted to add._

_I am planning a trip to Christmas Island next month. Starting on the 20th, to be precise. I might stay for around two weeks._

_Would it be a burden for you to let me stay at your place, even if only for a few days? It would regardless be a few nights less to pay at the hotel, so I would appreciate any gesture._

_I know we have been exchanging letters this whole time, but, if you’re up for it, we could change it to communicating through emails instead. Since booking is something with a time limit, the faster we can exchange information, the better. You can find my email on the back._

_Take care,_

_Shadow._

 

When he was done, he put the paper into an envelope with practiced ease and swiftness. Then, a frown came across his tan muzzle.

 

“Only an idiot wouldn’t figure out that I wrote all these words just because Rouge told me to….” Shadow muttered to himself.

 

The dark hedgehog sighed and got up. Feeling extremely stupid, he went outside and made his way to the post office. Seagulls’ cries echoed from the seaside, as if mocking his decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you go peeps, sorry it took so long. I started a full-time job so I might not have as much time, but I still try my best! And, no matter how many typos or mistakes I sometimes throw in here, I love my baby and don’t plan to abandon it :) as always, let me know what you that, be it bitter or sweet, everything is a huge help! Have a great day, peace.


	4. Going wireless

 

The blue hedgehog was sitting on a wooden pier, legs swinging back and forth as his bare feet sunk slightly in the water. The pleasant, cool feeling from the sea was blissful on his skin, and even though swimming was not his best trait, he couldn’t help but enjoy the sensation.

 

The sun was about to rise and it was one of those sights that made the world so beautiful; the golden glow plopping onto the sky much like ink onto paper, contrasting beautifully to the aquamarine blue ocean.

 

Everything was tranquil and quiet right now, just before everyone got to wake up, start the day, and get lost in their everyday activities once again. Luckily for him, Fridays were always off work.

Sonic looked at his wristwatch.

 

_I still have some time before Silver wakes up, better make the most of it._

 

The young hedgehog put his socks and shoes back on and returned to the shore, bracing himself for a run.

 

Once he did, he released a soft sigh of happiness as he ran through the shiny sea, his speed keeping him on the surface without drowning. Thousands of droplets were staining his quills, his legs, his face — anywhere they could reach. Joy spread through his veins like a wildfire and his soul felt so light.

 

The calming golden shine of the forest, the crystal-clear blue sky, the tender grass playing with his skin as he passed by all of the beauty nature had to offer, one by one.

 

At last, he came to a halt, the alarm on his wristwatch signaling that he better get home.

Sonic arrived at his place a dash later, smiling fondly at his wooden cabin. He and Tails had built it together -- the cozy house held so many happy memories.

He made his way upstairs, to the room the white hedgehog had decided to use as his own. The room was looking pretty and tidy, just like usual. Sonic had no idea how Silver managed to keep his room so clean and neatly arranged — he just had no time or will for that.

The psychokinetic mobian’s room housed a plethora of sketchbooks and plants, all of them perfectly arranged, despite the fact that they were pretty much everywhere — on the desk, on the windowsill, on tiny wooden stools of various sizes and even on the floor. On the ceiling right above Silver’s bed hung a potted fern from a tiny metal hook. Oak walls were covered with drawings clinging from washi tape….

Yeah, this room definitely held a “Silver” vibe in it.

The blue hedgehog smiled fondly upon seeing his younger counterpart still sleeping on the bed, curled up in a ball. He walked up to his friend and shook his shoulder.

 

“Hey, Sil. Time to rise and shine; let’s make some breakfast, huh?”

 

Golden eyes opened slowly as the younger of the two yawned, rubbing his eyes as he got up.

 

“Uh-oh, yeah, sure. What do you think about pancakes? I’m the one frying this time, you can never flip them without tossing them onto the floor, somehow,” the albino hedgehog teased slightly as he got up and made his way to the kitchen.

 

“Well, this is what happens when you don’t cheat! Not everyone has super-cool-turquoise-thingy-powers,” the older hedgehog said in defense, pouting. He still followed the other to the kitchen, though.

They worked together smoothly, focused on their objective but not hesitating to throw in some jokes from time to time. At last, they sat down in front of their black table and began eating. Sonic looked at the clock on the white wall of their living room. Ten in the morning…

 

Two more hours and he’ll get to read what Shadow wrote again. He smiled at the thought.

The more they spoke, the more he knew he couldn’t get enough of the other. He could read about his life for hours; how public places made him uneasy, how he loved capturing the beauty of nature, how much fun Shadow and Rouge had had together, and how much she meant to him… even though he wasn’t there, he felt like he was a part of Shadow’s life. A very important part. Shadow seemed to fulfill his wish and very often included loads of details in his letters.

“Wow, are my pancakes that good today or are you already excited about that letter from Yours-Truly arriving in two hours?” Silver said casually, breaking Sonic’s indulgent trance.

 

“H-he’s not my-! I’m just, uh, I think our clock broke, gotta replace the batteries,” the cobalt hedgehog blushed and pointed at the clock. The younger of the two inspected the item for a second, noticed it worked perfectly fine, and gave the other a disbelieving look.

 

“... Dude. Do I even need to say more?” Silver said calmly before taking another bite.

Sonic rolled his eyes, figuring that his only line of salvation right now was to act like the albino hedgehog never said a thing, so he stuffed himself bashfully with breakfast before finally breaking the silence.

 

“So uh, whaddya say about some nice sparring for today? I had my morning run so I’m all warmed up!” The blue hedgehog suggested, hoping the other would not turn down a challenge.

And indeed, Silver didn’t, playful smirk that bloomed on his face confirmed that.

“Okay, see how you deal with my meteor smash!” Words of the albino hedgehog were coated in excitement and bravery as he acceted the proposition.

 

Their muscles pumped. Another duck and trounce here and there, followed by teasing laughs and playful threats as the two hedgehogs continued their play-fight on top of the cliff near their house.

It lasted for hours and yet Sonic wasn’t anywhere near getting tired, and Silver, well… was nowhere near running out of his ‘ammo’. His aquamarine aura swallowed anything within reach — rocks, branches, and even leaves — anything that could be turned into a potential weapon against the blue speedster. Everything smelled like the forest as the area filled with sharp and shaky breaths, swishes of wind and violent rustles of golden leaves as the surrounding tried to cope with the velocity unfolding in it. Sonic’s vision was surrounded by turquoise and the rich, charming apricot of the world around him as the two friends continued their rough dance.

A quick backflip from the azure hedgehog allowed him to dodge yet another rock, but his opponent was ready to use that very split second to leave a tiny wound with one of the leaves, its speed making it feel like a deadly razor blade.

The opal hedgehog tried his best to dodge every single kick and punch thrown at his side while attempting to turn the tables on his rival.

 

Every dash and whirl set Sonic's soul ablaze. Every step felt like walking on burning coal, but he relished every time his body tensed and relaxed to the heat of the fight. The wind too added pleasure as it caressed his quills, soothing his sweat-drenched skin and fur.

 

However, he came to a halt once he heard the familiar beeping of his wristwatch.

Twelve in the afternoon.

 

The blue hedgehog’s heart skipped a beat and he was glad his cheeks couldn’t get any more flushed. The sea-green glow faded away and for a second, both of them tried to get their breath back until Silver spoke up.

 

“Well, I guess it’s a—” The younger hedgehog started, but his friend was already gone in a flash of blue light, clearly focused on something other than their conversation.

 

“...tie?” Silver finished, a look of confusion clearly visible on his face.

 

Back in the cabin, Sonic was already grasping the letters he picked up, jumping around the house gleefully while being careful not to cause damage.

 

“Aw, yeah! It’s Friday, baby! And there’s _two_!” He yelled happily, swirling around. He ran upstairs to his bedroom and opened what, well… he judged to be the first letter, since the other one had number two written on the envelope.

 

He sat at his desk, grabbed the letter opener and seconds later his eyes were already focused on the neat handwriting that took his breath away.

 

As usual, Shadow’s words felt like warm honey. The blue hedgehog embraced every sentence gladly, imagining everything in the letter.

 

_Hi again Sonic,_

 

_I’m glad you like the pictures I took. And, since you asked about it, I am also including a picture of myself in return._

 

Emerald eyes widened. He quickly searched through the envelope and found a picture of a charcoal hedgehog with coral stripes lacing his body. His quills indeed perked upward, just like he mentioned in one of his first letters. Ruby eyes were staring intensely at the camera, and the white fluffy tuft on his chest, much like the one of Silver’s, seemed so soft….

 

Sonic sat there frozen for a while, staring at the image before him. Mouth agape, cheeks bright rose, though this time definitely not from running around.

Eventually, his shock melted into a warm smile, the heat much like the one of ginger tea on fall evenings.

 

“Hello there gorgeous, nice to meet you,” the blue hedgehog said in a charming, quiet voice.

He held the picture close to his chest for a few seconds before hiding it in his quills as he continued reading, excitement bursting in his heart.

The letter was calm and sweet and filled with interesting information. Just like any other letter from the dark hedgehog, but thrilling nonetheless.

Then, it was time to grab the second envelope.

 

He thought there was no way he could be any more excited, _and yet._

 

Before his eyes were the best news that Sonic had seen in a while.

 

“He’s going to come here,” he said in a shaking voice, exhilaration suddenly surging through him.“ _He’s going to come here_!”

His restatement was now a yell, loud enough to scare away a couple of seagulls resting on his windowsill. Usually he would feel guilty, but this time he was too focused on the crazy joy in his heart.

 

_And he wants to keep in touch through email! This will make everything so much faster!_

 

Busy making excited noises, he didn’t hear his roommate walking into the house until Silver was already standing in the room.

 

“Hey, what’s that all abou—” The younger hedgehog’s words were cut short for the second time in under an hour, and he would have voiced his displeasure toward the treatment, if not the fact that the cobalt hedgehog had already grabbed his arms and was spinning him around.

 

“Shadow’s coming here! He’s going to be here, he’s going to be here, Silver! Here! On Christmas Island!” Sonic’s cheerful voice bounced in the room, and spinning around made Silver feel dizzy, so he did what he thought would be best -- liberate from the jumping maniac.

 

The blue hedgehog suddenly felt himself floating in the air, his movement limited as he was controlled by Silver’s light aura. He pouted.

 

“Hmph, killjoy! And here I wanted to share my happiness with you!” The blue speedster complained, crossing his arms. His friend seemed unaffected by his words, though.

 

“Well, actually, now thanks to me you can. Tell me what’s going on instead of jumping around, your bedroom is way too tiny for breakdance practice,” the albino hedgehog replied calmly, a small smile on his face.

 

“Shadow wrote to me, well, obviously. But next month he wants to go on vacation here and is asking if I could lend him the couch during his stay! And he left me his email in the letter, so we can start chatting! Like, right now. If I text him now he will text me back!” The older of the two explained and Silver finally let him go.

 

“Alright, I guess I could cope with a complete stranger roaming around the house for a while, after all, I do hope to be the best man in the future,” Silver smirked, but after a moment his expression softened, a soft smile remaining. “I’m happy for you, Sonic, I really am. But please remain cautious? I’m an optimist, but I’m also a realist. This is someone you have never seen in person before. I trust your judgment, however, I think it’s best if you two spend some time together outside before he comes here.”

 

“Point taken. Then again, he also is risking me having a secret torture dungeon in here or somethin’. We’re both vulnerable in this situation. But thank you, Sil,”

 

“You’re welcome,” Silver replied as Sonic’s mobile phone floated toward him slowly, “now, I believe there is someone that awaits your response?”

 

“Yes! Thanks, Silver,” Sonic chirped. He grabbed the phone and started eagerly typing as the younger hedgehog disappeared from his room.

 

Back in Apotos, Shadow grabbed his tripod and reflex camera, intent on making his way back home after a very satisfying day of photographing. He stopped, however, when he felt a buzz in his quills.

 

Gloved fingers unlocked the phone in one swift motion and ruby eyes widened when he saw a notification in his mailbox. From none other than the blue hedgehog.

 

_Hi, Shads! Can I just say I’m very glad we’re finally switching to digital communication, like this we can talk more often! But anyway, regarding the trip, there’s plenty of room at my place, feel free to crash for a few days. Only if we’re going to race, though! There’s no way I’m letting you off without one, now that I know about your abilities!_

 

_And uh, can I just say you’re really, really pretty? Just… just wow. I have seen tons of beautiful mobians in my life but you’re like, on way another level._

 

A deep blush bloomed on the demigod’s face. Shaky hands tapped the touchscreen gently.

Shadow had no idea whether he did the best thing possible in his life, or maybe the worst mistake in the history of the planet.

 

_Chaos, what have I done._

 

That thought quickly deteriorated, though, as the two hedgehogs exchanged sentences back and forth as Shadow found himself genuinely smiling for the first time in years.


	5. The other side of the sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s here at last! Sorry for the delay. I had tons of fun writing it :)  
> Also! Totally optional, but for better reading experience, I recommend listening to this before starting:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87qVeARSrIo&feature=share

Life is long. At least in Shadow’s eyes.

Days creep by, their roots spreading into the ground lazily. It’s been like this for centuries.

This month, however, was the longest he’s experienced in a while.

 

The more the two got the chance to chat, the more he started to believe that his decision was right.

 

_Is Rouge right? Is this what you really wanted for me, Grandpa?_

 

Coral eyes looked outside the window in his living room. It was midnight, and yet he couldn’t fall asleep, couldn’t stop thinking of what will follow with another sunrise.

His voice was hoarse as he spoke to the empty room.

 

“This place… I wish you could be here with me. Grandpa, Maria….”

 

The dark hedgehog shook his head, trying to push the thought away. Thinking of the past was no good, he knew that.

 

And yet, tonight, the memories jubilated in his head. And he let them.

Charcoal lids fluttered closed as Shadow got lost in the memory, nothing apart from the images in his head mattering for the moment.

 

Wednesday. Usually not many people came to visit during the week. Then again, would it even matter if they did?

 

The young, black hedgehog wondered about it as he was sketching one of the flowers in the playroom. Ever since he could remember he saw people come and go, overhearing other children talk about how much they wish they could find their families; usually that was Shadow’s wish, too, but at that moment he wasn’t so sure. Maybe it would be best to just get used to things being the way they are?

 

“So I will be able to have a brother, Grandpa?! Or a sister?! Or _both_?! Oooh Grandpa, thank you, thank you so much!” Suddenly this screech of presumably a young girl interrupted him. He turned in the direction of the sound, vaguely noted the blonde, human girl tightly hugging an older man — apparently her grandfather — and decided to return his focus to his doodle. He won’t get picked anyway.

Yet it was easier said than done; he couldn’t help but stare again.

 

“H-hey, Maria, don’t be so hasty!” the older man replied with a small, hoarse laugh. He knew this would be a long process — it had already taken so much paperwork to get to where they were now.

 

Maria continued to beam with excitement, though, as she ignored him and skipped inside the playroom, waving to all the kids. Some waved back; even the most reserved of them, like Mighty, walked over to the girl to say hi.

 

At last, she noticed him sitting near the windowsill. Shadow, feeling bashful about being caught staring, looked away, focusing on the succulent plant near him. She still decided to walk up to him, though. Taking a seat in front of the young hedgehog, she placed her palms on the wooden desk.

 

“Hi,” The blonde girl beamed, a huge smile on her face. Her aquamarine eyes shined with excitement.

 

“Hi.”

Shadow’s voice was emotionless, desperate to not give in and beg for the attention.

 

“I’m Maria, nice to meet you. What’s your name?” She asked in a soft voice, resting her chin on her hands. The contentment never vanished from her face.

The same couldn’t be said about Shadow though, who continued to draw with a blank expression.

 

_...You’re not gonna pick me anyway._

 

“Shadow,” he replied anyway.

 

“Whatchu drawin’? Can I see? I can’t draw at all!” All these questions asked at once, combined with Maria’s happy attitude seemed to ignite his heart with tiny sparks of hope. He decided to go with the flow and see what happens.

 

“... Sure,” the young mobian said, pushing the piece of paper to the other side of the desk.

She stared at it in awe for few seconds, before returning her attention to Shadow.

 

“Hey, that’s really good! I wish I could see more of your drawings. I can see why you prefer sitting here now, peace and quiet is important to create a true masterpiece. Hey uh, how old are you? I’m eight years old!” At the last part, Maria pointed out eight fingers.

 

“Five,” The boy replied, mimicking her action and showing an open palm to the girl. Her warm, affectionate smile was her first response before she decided to speak her mind.

 

“Oh, so that would make you my little brother! That would be so awesome! Would you like that, Shadow?”

 

“You… you really mean it?”

 

“Yeah! I mean, I still have to ask Grandpa, but-“

Shadow threw his arms around the little girl, tears in his eyes. Never, ever had anyone been even interested in fostering him… maybe his life was about to change?

 

“Grandpa!” The girl called, “I want Shadow to be my little brother!”

 

Twelve months later, his life did indeed change. He smiled widely at the adoption paper in his tiny gloved hands, the name Shadow Robotnik written on it in black ink. It will take some time to get used to introducing himself as such but he sure could manage.

 

Back in the present, the dark hedgehog’s lips crooked into a soft smile as he finally drifted away, happiness from two hundred years ago lulling his tired mind.

 

For once, he didn't think of how hard it was to get used to being Shadow the Hedgehog again.

 

His awakening was much less pleasant, brought on from his phone’s alarm ringing. He turned it off, groaning miserably. It was then that he noticed several unread notifications sent yesterday night. From none other than Sonic.

 

_I guess I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t fall asleep last night..._

 

Was the first message he sent before even reading Sonic’s numerous texts. He tapped and opened the chatbox they started using recently.

He immediately couldn’t help but snicker at the messages, filled with tons of emoticons just like Shadow expected them to.

 

23:04

_Oh man! You’re gonna be here tomorrow! Like here here! σ(≧ε≦ｏ)_

 

23:05

_I’m totally hyped, how do you expect me to sleep tonight?! (≧д≦ヾ)_

 

00:21

_√(￣‥￣√ Hey Shadster, what would you like for lunch? I bet you’ll arrive super hungry!♡_

 

01:04

_Hey Shadow, you there? I’m boooreeed. Come on, wake up duuuudeee ＼(;´□｀)/_

  


He had to get ready, but before that, he guessed it wouldn’t hurt to send one more message. Right?

 

05:02

_Something with tomatoes if you may, I’m fond of these._

_I have to get ready right now, but hopefully we’ll get to talk later when you wake up._

 

The dark hedgehog grabbed his letter suitcase, placed it in front of the door and went to the kitchen to start his breakfast. The smell of coffee soothed his senses as he looked around the room, tracing his fingertips on the white, wooden counters before turning his attention back to the cup sitting neglected on the black countertop.

 

He took in every piece of furniture — the white stools, table, decorations, plants — and smiled with fondness, knowing he’ll miss this place, even though it’s only temporary.

 

The rest of breakfast went in silence as he ate his omelette and proceeded with cleaning up the dishes.

An hour later, Shadow heard knocking on his door. He was a little surprised, but went to answer it nonetheless.

 

_Who could it be at this hour?_

 

"... Rouge?" He started, quickly recognizing the others beside her,"Blaze… even miss Vanilla and Cream? What are all of you doing here at this hour?" He asked, to which everyone smiled and Rouge let out a small chuckle.

 

"What does it look like to you, silly?" the bat replied with a smirk, "We came to see you off, of course! There is only half an hour left until you hafta go, so grab that suitcase and let's hang out at the harbor."

 

"We'll miss you so much, mister Shadow!" The little rabbit said, hugging the charcoal hedgehog who could've sworn he felt his heart melt. Hesitantly, softly, he pat the girl's head as he turned his attention to her mother, who looked at him with a warm smile as she handled him a plastic bag with something round inside, and… a little heavy too?

 

"You're a very kind neighbor to us, so we thought it’s only natural if we do something for you in return. I hope you have a safe cruise ride. Here's some cheesecake I made for you, do I remember correctly that it's your favorite? Either way, five hours is a long trip, make sure to eat something apart from the cake every now and then," Vanilla said, still beaming genuinely as Shadow just continued to stare in bewilderment, "As always, we'll take good care of the house in your absence. Oh, and take tons of pictures!"

 

Shadow knew he shouldn't get so used to people. Last century the same thing had happened, and each time it hurt seeing the people close to him go. And yet he falls for the same scheme again anyway. Every. Single. Time.

 

A smile, kind hands. A couple of charming words — something so simple and still — his heart falls for the same trick over and over. Gets tied down to a person until the strings of life shred to the thinnest of pieces.

 

And he couldn’t do anything about it.

 

Which is why he smiled softly and said, "Thank you. I really do love it."

 

It was then that his best friend decided to strike the iron while it was still hot.

 

"Oh and hun, would you mind getting me a souvenir or two for making your dream vacation come true?" the female bat said, nudging her friend's shoulder.

 

Surprisingly, Shadow did not comment about her cocky attitude like he usually would. His smile only widened as he said, "Yeah, I will."

 

It was Rouge’s turn to look surprised now.“... Who are you and what did you do with Shadow?”

 

Shadow’s just snorted and started walking, urging his associates to join him.

The following half hour was quite calm as the group strolled along the shore, bantering about nothing in particular, changing topics every once in a while; just enjoying themselves. The dark hedgehog inhaled the briny morning breeze, wondering if where he’s going will have air that feels different. He couldn’t help but feel nostalgic at the thought.

 

Eventually, they arrived at the harbor. The small, wooden ferry looked a little… underwhelming. It was a medium sized boat with a black keel and a white stem to the contrast. The white, upper part was excessively rusty, implying it had probably gone on many voyages to date. Navy blue rubrails seemed to be the only thing that got painted from time to time, seeing as how they were gently shimmery. Not many people were waiting for their cruise — one badger who, judging by the hand over her mouth and frown, seemed to have gotten seasick, while one cat seemed to be quite the contrary — he looked excited as he stood next to the small ship, a fishing rod in his left hand, and a rather large suitcase in the other. The baggage had a frog sitting on top of it, but Shadow decided not to focus on that part too much. There was also a lemur standing a few feet away from the cat, which seemed equally excited as her eyes darted from a list in her hand to her bag, presumably wanting to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything. Finally was also a group of three avian mobians and, well… they didn’t seem to think much of the cruise, lost in a conversation Shadow didn’t want to eavesdrop on out of politeness.

 

“Oh! It is Shadow, isn’t it? What’s the craic? Glad you made it in time!” A rough, friendly voice beamed from behind the obsidian hedgehog, who turned around upon hearing his name. “It’s me, Vector. We spoke on the phone a while ago. I’d like to introduce you to my crew, since it is us going to be the best cabin crew you saw in your entire life. Right, guys?” The crocodile said, surprising Shadow with harsh vowels and soft r’s unlike any accent he was used to. The captain also spoke at a far faster pace than most people would, but Shadow managed to keep up. Over the phone it was difficult to hear little things like that, but now he couldn’t not notice the foreign dialect. Vector gestured to the other two mobians that had arrived with him, which included a tiny bee (who looked _way_ too young to work but Shadow decided not to comment on this one) and a deep magenta chameleon.

 

“This little guy in the air is Charmy, he can annoy you to death but he’s a good guy,” Vector joked, to which Charmy exclaimed in a loud, squeaky _“Hey!”_ and a pout. The green reptile ignored the little bee and pointed to the chameleon on his right. “And well, this is Espio, a co-pilot of our little gang. And the captain number one would be me!”

Vector gave a thumbs up and pointed at himself. Rouge smirked at the sight.

 

“Well, well. Been a while, boys. The barrel made it home safely, I assume?” The bat asked, clearly amused at the reptile’s terrified expression as the other two looked away sheepishly, trying desperately to not break their professional act.

Shadow glanced questioningly at Rouge, expecting an explanation, but all he got from her was a quiet _shhh_ as her finger pressed her lips.

 

_What the hell did you do to them, Rouge?_

 

Once Vector recovered from his petrification, he scratched his head and let out a short, nervous laugh, looking away from the bat.

 

“Anyway! Now that we’ve got introductions out of the way, can I have the 1000 rings we spoke about? We take payment in advance.”

 

_Oh, right._

Shadow reached inside his quills, pulling out the desired piece of paper.

 

“Yes, of course, here you go...” Shadow passed him the check, which the crocodile gladly accepted, smiling and handling the check to Espio.

 

“Thanks. Now, we be helping out with the baggage, so let me take the suitcase off you real quick,” The crocodile said as he took a hold of Shadow’s suitcase, “It should take us around ten minutes, so do say your goodbyes and get ready to board!”

 

Shadow turned around to look at the group once again.

Their eyes were shining so bright. Even Blaze managed to crack a tiny smile.

It was only now that the dark hedgehog realized how much he was going to miss them for the next two weeks. Rouge and her witty remarks, Cream with her flower crowns.…

His heart felt heavy all of a sudden, but he knew he had to say something.

 

“Alright, time for me to wrap things up around here,” Shadow spoke in a soft, calm voice. “Thank you, everyone. It really means a lot to me.” The demigod waved his hand, trying his best to not look or sound as stiff and embarrassed as he felt. However, the moment he was about to walk away, he felt himself jerked into a tight hug.

 

“Whoa--hey!”

 

Rouge had basically thrown himself at him. It was rare for the female to show such strong emotions among the crowd, and Shadow couldn’t decide whether this shocked him more or the whole sudden embrace to begin with.

 

“Stuff it,” her voice was playful despite the harsh words as she pinched the other’s tan cheek; “Now go chase your dreams, old fart. And don’t you dare come back without a souvenir for me.” She pecked her friend on the cheek before pulling away.

 

Shadow grunted and looked away without commenting on the matter.

 

“Alright, we’re going to the open sea!” A yell announced from the boat. All the passengers slowly made their way inside. The dark hedgehog looked at his friends one more time.

Their smiles were so bright. Blooming with the purest of petals.

 

“Take care, Shadow,” Blaze added, waving her hand.

 

“Thank you. You too.”

 

Striped legs of the demigod stepped forward.

 

An hour later, Shadow decided that sometimes it’s worth paying more if it means some peace and quiet.

Regret filled his tired soul as he stood in the cockpit area with, in his opinion, three overly cheerful maniacs.

 

“Come on, Shadow! Let’s sing!”

 

_Yup, definitely maniacs._

 

“ _I. Don’t. Sing._ ” Shadow hissed. His words were coated with venom and he spat them as if they were a disgusting, bitter liquid.

 

“I’m sure you’ll be changing your mind once we start singing! Let’s hit it, Vector! Espio, start the show!” Charmy ordered as he grabbed his own instrument — a black, wooden flute. The chameleon only nodded and grabbed his banjo.

 

“No, don’t—!” the charcoal hedgehog tried, but it was too late. The fast, cheerful melody already began, as the two mobians played their song. The crocodile steering the ship took a deep breath.

 

_Maria, please save me._

 

“Raptor Taylor was a brisk young sailor, full of heart and full of play….” Vector started singing, matching the rhythm of Espio’s banjo perfectly. His voice sounded rough, as usual, but he hit all the notes perfectly and, strangely, his raspy voice seemed to fit the vibe of the melody.

 

Charmy then put away his flute, getting himself ready to sing along and Shadow cringed, knowing what’s coming for him. Vector closed his mouth, letting his friend have his moment, shaking his head to the beat as he ministrated the wheel, the boat turning in response.

 

_“Till his mind he did uncover_

_To a youthful lady gay….”_

 

The little boy sang, his high pitched voice sounding strangely soft and soothing. He pointed at the chameleon with his flute and Shadow knew that meant it was his turn.

Espio nodded, his baritone voice fluttering across the tiny cockpit as he danced the banjo strings to his will.

 

_“Four and twenty human sailors_

_Met him on the king’s highway_

_As he went for to be married_

_Pressed he was and sent away….”_

 

Charmy put away his flute and Vector took yet another deep breath. All three of them took a quick, deep breath, ready to sing the following part together.

 

_“Folleri-de-dom, de-daerai diddero_

_Folleri-de-dom, domme daerai-dae….”_

 

As much as Shadow wanted to ignore this situation and act like it never took place, he couldn’t help but get lost in the easing rhythm of their folk song. He had to hand it to the Chaotix — they were damn good at singing. And playing instruments, too. He sat down on the floor against a nearby wall, thin arms wrapping themselves around his legs.

His head rested on his knees. He was barely paying attention to the words anymore, focusing instead on the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

 

_“Her pretty little fingers, long and slender_

_They were smeared with pitch and tar….”_

 

Eyes fluttered closed, lulled by the cheerful melody.

 

Words of nonsense bounced in his ears softly, and he realized he had barely slept last night.

Dozing off, his dreams, as usual, were haunted by pale skin and aquamarine eyes.

 

“A human and a mobian? Siblings? Is this a joke or is your ‘family’ really that screwed up?”

More laughter followed from the other kids now. It felt like the entire school’s canteen was filled with evil monsters, not living beings.

 

Frowns really didn’t suit her beautiful face. He desperately needed to see these features gleam with happiness again.

 

Except, they didn’t, and the laughter was slowly driving him mad.

“Why are they laughing at us, Maria?” Shadow said quietly, tugging at the girl’s snow white dress. He didn’t like that situation. Not one bit.

 

“They are jealous, Shadow.” Maria comforted the young hedgehog, grabbing a hold of her little brother’s hand, “Jealous that we have each other. Don’t worry about them. And if they try to hurt you, I’ll protect you. That’s what big sisters do!” She smiled once again, that warm smile that never failed to keep all of the Shadow’s demons at bay.

 

A rough shake of his arm brought the ebony hedgehog out of his slumber. He frowned at the harsh treatment.

“Shadow? Mobius to Shadow! We be here, time to get off!” Vector yelled, to which Shadow got up. His back immediately sent jolts of pain at the movement. Sleeping in such an awkward position couldn’t have ended well, he guessed.

 

_I could have at least went to my room if I wanted to sleep…_

 

The dark hedgehog grabbed his suitcase, thanked Vector for the safe travel and headed toward the exit along with the rest of the passengers, wondering how difficult it might be to find the blue hedgehog once he steps outside.

 

His breath caught the moment he stepped onto Christmas Island. Before him was, in his opinion, the most beautiful place he’s seen in his entire life. It was colorful, vivid, happy… The water was a rich, bright turquoise, which complemented well the ginger brick of the buildings. A plethora of power chao’s, young and old, were playing around on the beach, throwing sand around.

He was going to enjoy every second of photographing this place. He knew that for a fact.

Gloved fingers already twitched slightly as the striped hedgehog imagined the sensation.

The sun was about to set here, painting the sky rose and peach. So many hues frolliced before his eyes; it was mesmerizing….

At last, Shadow decided it was time to stop admiring the view and focus on looking around for Sonic, which ended up being really pretty easy. There weren’t many people at the harbor, so when he turned around, he immediately caught a glimpse of jade eyes and royal blue fur.

The younger hedgehog stood there in shock; warm, rosy pink was blooming on his pale muzzle.

As if he couldn’t believe this was really happening.

In a way, Shadow couldn’t believe it, either. The whole situation seemed so unreal. For a moment, he was too scared to say anything — scared that one word, one touch, and everything will fall like the tender leaves of a young mimosis.

 

At last, the dark hedgehog gained the courage to speak. A soft, barely noticable smile graced his features as he spoke.

 

“Hi, Sonic.” The older of the two started, immediately cursing his word choice. Now it was his time to blush. Shadow frowned sheepishly and looked away. Could he sound any more awkward?

 

These words seemed to be enough to break Sonic’s strange trance, though.

He turned his attention back to the blue hedgehog when he heard a happy, soft gasp in response to his greeting. Sonic beamed, his smile brighter than a thousand fireflies.

 

“Shadow!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Folleri-de-dom, de-daerai diddero
> 
> Folleri-de-dom, domme daerai-daeeeee ;w;


	6. Tiger in the clouds

Glossy emerald eyes expressed so many emotions at once, his body visibly stiffened from all the frenzy as happiness soared up and all around him.

The colorful sky looked like hope. The spirits of the wind and the Chaos energy danced with something so innocent, so unblemished… as joy.

Shadow took a deep breath through his nose, dark lids slipping closed for a moment, just so that he could feel this place — so he could resonate with the warm sand and the breeze singing the same song it hummed in Apotos, yet this time in pitch of the rainforest.

Coral eyes gazed yet again at his friend and he smiled. This place, with Sonic standing before him… it cleared his mind until all he could think of were cerulean quills and the way they danced on the wind, feeling the warmth of Zephyr — feeling the rays of the sun.

As much as the dark hedgehog hated the lord of the daytime star, he couldn’t help but appreciate how the sunset right then played with the scenery. Everything seemed so soft… or was it always like this here? In a glance Shadow saw the younger hedgehog look up, as if trying to catch all of the dozens of hues above them; lilac, rose, orange, even aquamarine, and deep sangria… each fluttering, much like the beat of their hearts, soft yet steady. One, two, one, two….

Truth be told, this moment didn’t last as long as one might imagine. Shadow loved observing, noting every jitter of the leaf and flutters of wings as they soared through the sky. With time, things like this just naturally flowed into his mind, which he was thankful for. Wouldn’t want their very first meeting to kick-off with Shadow absently devoting all of his attention to the sky and not his new friend.

“So…” The azure hedgehog’s voice vibrated, much like the waves as they approached the shore. He scratched his ear sheepishly, eyes focused on a tiny brown seashell by his feet.

His mind, though, not so much. “Would you mind if I gave you a little welcome hug? I’m not exactly sure how you do it in Apotos, but I hear people in some places are not exactly fond of physical contact with someone other than a partner….”

“... I…” the other hedgehog started, pondering the idea and looking a bit uneasy.

Sure, he enjoyed physical contact, but it also scared him when he thought of how temporary the situation was. Then again, maybe specifically for that reason alone, it would be better to just let go?

Besides, Rouge never asked questions before expressing her affection toward him, so it would be only fair to not restrain Sonic in such manner either, right?

“... fine. Just don’t make a habit out of it.”

“Alright!” Sonic exclaimed as he threw his arms around the dark hedgehog. Something about the other’s excited voice told Shadow that he had no plans to listen to him. He rolled his eyes at the thought. Just his luck.

Yet these thoughts quickly scattered when suddenly he was blanketed in pale arms and gentle hands gracing his raven fur, and, oh….

He hadn’t experienced this sort of comfort in a long, long time. He barely even remembered what the sensation felt like.

“It’s so, so great to finally meet you, Shadow! How was the cruise? Did you sleep well? Are you tired?” It was a million questions per second, just as how the older of the two anticipated. He couldn’t frown even if he tried, though, not when the Sonic’s tenor voice and kind hands awoke such soft feelings, ones he couldn’t bring himself to ignore.

This emotion...

It felt like sparklers brushing against his skin, warm scintillae that were not _bitter cold_ for once.

A striped hand touched the blue hedgehog’s shoulder gently as the demigod pushed away from the feeling. The tender haze faded, releasing him back to his logical state of mind.

They pulled away from each other, the once-alluring vibe disappearing into thin air.

“The cruise was alright, although I slept through most of it. I feel rested, thank you.”

A look of realization washed over Sonic’s face. “Ohh, that explains why you weren’t replying to my texts!”

Shadow furrowed his brows in perplexion as he reached for his phone, only to be immediately flooded with notifications. He looked at the blue hedgehog disconcertingly.

“... Seven notifications? Really, Sonic?”

“Hey, I was excited, okay!” Sonic pouted in defense, his blush deepening while he looked away. “And I still am….” he murmured, hoping he had been quiet enough so that the other wouldn’t hear.

Even if he did, Shadow didn’t act on it, his condemning expression staying static. The blue speedster let out a short laugh and smiled again, confidence regained.

“So! I kind of have a plan for today. I was thinking we could first go grab some coffee or tea in the Chao Cafe nearby? I know you have a suitcase and all, but it’s literally right there,” Sonic pointed to a small wooden building down the street, “And since you mentioned you don’t have many encounters with chao, I figured it might be a nice experience. They have lots of different types there!”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Cool! Also –– can I just point out that you sound… super elegant and pretty? I don’t know, something about your accent just makes me feel as if I’m talking to a royal, or something.”

No mockery was found in this sea of green eyes —just honesty and goodwill. Small, ivory fangs shone when the young hedgehog smiled, offering nothing apart from earnesty and joy. It was impossible for the demigod to stay indifferent to the notion.

Tan cheeks burst with a warm hue, akin to a rich Winesap. Shadow quickly frowned and looked away, wanting to hide how bashful he felt about such a weird compliment.

“Well, your accent makes you sound like you’re talking with a bunch of marshmallows in your mouth—”  
“Hey!” Sonic interrupted with a pout, ready to say a thing or two, but this time the other hedgehog was faster.

“–– But it also feels very warm. Kind of like… this sensation when you feel the steam of tea against your cheek on slow Sunday evenings. It reminds me of that.”

Lush eyes widened, mouth gaping slightly. Sonic looked extremely stupid with this face, but also adorable, in his own weird way. Yet it only lasted a fleeting second, because blue lids then slid halfway as Sonic blushed, smiling shyly with eyes acast. The demigod wanted something out of this situation, but he wasn’t exactly sure what. It seemed like dangerous territory to be in, but also so excitingly _alive_ and _not_ soulless, unakin to pitch-black depths of anguish.

It had nothing to do with bloodlust screams of fire tearing through skin. Or cold stone floors in the unforgiving shrine of the sun.

And yet it was petrifying.

He wanted to reach his hand out, outside of his cage. Reach the soft silk and happy petals of blue, but he couldn’t. His body wouldn’t move.

So instead, he broke the silence. “Could we go grab tea now?”

“Yeah, sure!” the blue hedgehog grinned, scooping up Shadow’s luggage before he began journeying down the boardwalk.

The older hedgehog immediately reacted to that, quickly catching up to Sonic in order to grab his belongings.

“I can carry my own suitcase, you know.” Shadow pointed out, reaching to grab the suitcase.

“No can do, buddy. Over here, it’s strongly impolite if someone invites you and then makes you carry your stuff all by yourself. Just relax and focus on looking around, a’ight?” Sonic grinned and continued walking, urging the other hedgehog to follow.

Each street — well, if you could call a sandy path a street — connected to multiple others, with patches of grass, flowers, and palm trees all in-between. In the distance, he could see skyscrapers and planes, but here… it was detached, as if the island were divided into two completely different puzzle pieces, somehow connected despite all their differences. Everything on the grassy part of the island emitted such a peaceful vibe, polarized intensely from the typical, fast-paced life on the other side. Small, red brick houses and mini shops sat here and there, a few eateries dotting the otherwise extense of souvenir stores.

There were mobians at every turn, with the occasional human at a glance. Surprisingly even animals were rather prevalent as well. Shadow was observing in intense intrigue the content wildlife when a tiny petrel had found a seat atop of Shadow’s head. He gasped quietly, shocked by the bird’s trusting endearment.

“...Is it typical for animals here to be so friendly toward mobians?” The demigod asked upright, trying incredibly hard to not tense his spines and scare off or harm the little creature.

“Well, yeah. At least in this district. Most of the island is declared as national park, so we try to have strict rules regarding how the animals should be treated. But, that also means we get to live in harmony here. They’re not afraid of us.” Sonic explained as he slowly reached his free hand out to the small bird resting on Shadow’s quills, petting the adorable bird’s head upward. He smiled warmly when it puffed its feathers and closed its eyes, lost in the affection.

The dark hedgehog’s rigidity softened when he heard the sweet chirps. He felt the petrel shuffle more comfortably in his quills as Sonic continued his ministrations for a few seconds.

“Okay, my hand is starting to get tired. Should we keep going?” The blue speedster suggested, but his dark counterpart continued to stand there, coral eyes looking a bit… dazed?

“Hey, shady boy, you still with me?” Sonic asked, waving his hand in front of Shadow’s face. Orbs of wine refocused once more, recovering from the slight bewilderment.

“Yes, of course, let’s go.” the ebony hedgehog replied, and the trio rembarked.

They walked past a couple of houses until they finally reached their destination — the quaint Chao Cafe. It was a wooden structure with a straw roof, like many of the other buildings in the area. The wooden foundation and fat stairs gave it a warm, sunny look. Not to mention all the flower clusters— plumeria, mariposa, and gardenia, to name a few. There were also — well, obviously — many chao flying around, various colors gently streaking the air. Some drank the nectar from nearby flowers; others played with guests. It was a warming sight to see.

In front of the entrance, a female echidna stood idle, peering around. A dozen decorations adorned her two-piece dress and tangerine fur. Near her shoulder sat a tiny, silvery nameplate reading _Tikal._ A chao tottered by her feet.

The moment she noticed the two hedgehogs, she smiled and walked up to them.

“Nǐhǎo! Welcome to our chao cafe. May I assist you to your seats?”

Before Shadow got a chance to speak up, Sonic had already decided to take the lead.

“That would be awesome! My fella here is visiting the island for the first time, so I thought this should be the first place he sees,” The young hedgehog said with a smirk, to which the young echidna replied with a small chuckle.

“Certainly. Please follow me,” she turned around and walked inside, the two hedgehogs following after her. The moment they stepped inside, the black and white petrel decided to fly away, the sound of wings beating being the only proof of it ever being there.

It wasn’t crowded at all, much to Shadow’s surprise. One would think that evenings would be the most popular time to visit, yet clearly this wasn’t the case.

They sat at a table — which honestly was just a wide log, but it added the charm to the place. A marshmallow white chao with long, turquoise ears immediately walked up to the two as they sat down.

“This one, for example, is a swim type chao,” The azure hedgehog smiled, petting the little creature’s head. “They’re quite intelligent. Man, sometimes I wish I knew how to swim,” A sad smile made its way to the pale muzzle, “then, then I could’ve…”

_Helped you._

As soon as he noticed the concerned stare of the darker hedgehog, a sunshine smile quickly forced its way back to Sonic’s face.

“... done some cool tricks with windsurfing! And, not worry about falling into the water,” He finished with a dry chuckle, rubbing his left ear bashfully. Shadow was confused but decided to not press the subject.

“I guess that’s true,” the dark hedgehog commented, a striped hand moving to stroke the little chao in Sonic’s hands, “By the way, what is _nee hawwo_?”

Lush eyes looked puzzled for a second as Sonic was trying to grasp what was being spoken to him.

“ _Nee_ -what? Your guess is as good as mine,” His local friend answered, chuckling slightly.

“No, that word the waitress said when she greeted us.”

“Oh, _nǐhǎo_! That just means hello in Chun-nese. It’s one of the languages we speak here. I can teach you some more useful words and phrases, if you’d like.”

“I don’t think my brain is ready for that today, but I’d appreciate it sometime in the future. Maybe tomorrow.”

“Alright!”

Not too long later, both mobians were sipping their toasty beverages, chamomile melting with jasmine; dusty clouds hovered above their mauve coffee cups, inviting them for more. At some point during the conversation, a new scent came to Shadow’s attention... one that reminded him of burning wood as it frizzled in the fire’s hands. He looked around, curious to find the source, aimlessly lost until he finally dawned that the scent was coming from his deep sky-blue friend. It was alluring, firing heat to the dark demigod’s face, and he prayed to Tyche to cover it at least a little with her wings of snow. The sunflower grin of the other sent a tingle down his spine as the ebony hedgehog tried his hardest to not give in to the sensation.

Sonic, as usual, was going a topic a minute— stars, the oh-so-many kinds of plants in Silver’s room, the way little chao jumped around the cafe— and whatever in between, his tenor voice dancing back and forth in pitch, blessing Shadow with pearly laughter whenever he said something he found particularly funny.

The obsidian hedgehog imagined his heart as the wooden mill, as it spun slowly, gracefully; pirouetting, much like Mobius itself, as the waters of life remained perfectly still when the two hedgehogs finally found their way to each other across the pond. And it felt mesmerizing, being where they were right now — just sitting, smiling, admiring the acacia trees in their full bloom; which, for once in Shadow’s life, had no thorns.

Two hours later, the twists, treads, and swings seemed to have come to an end, the two already making their way to Sonic’s house. The tiny wooden cottage, already familiarly quaint from pictures, looked even better now in person. It was right next to the jungle’s entrance, which kind of alarmed Shadow.

 _So, a guy I am seeing for the very first time has invited me to his house, which apparently is in the middle of nowhere. That sounds alright,_ Shadow thought sarcastically, focusing his senses, readily alert. Yeah, they knew each other for around five months by now, but it wouldn’t hurt to remain cautious nonetheless.

“A’ight. My name is Sonic, and welcome to my crib,” Sonic exclaimed proudly as he spread his arms and looked around his living room.

“I… kind of already know who you are. I must hand it to you though —this place is really nice and tidy.”

“This is the first and last time you get to see it like this, just so you know,” An unfamiliar, countertenor voice resounded, followed seconds later by a white hedgehog stepping into the living room. Shadow knew who Silver was from Sonic’s stories, but he had never really pictured his voice before. It did suit him —it was soft and playful.

“Hey!” Sonic burst, “I told you not to blow this one for me, man!”

“I mean… he would find out sooner or later,” Silver pointed out, obviously not affected by Sonic’s reaction.

“That still doesn’t make it right!”

“Okay, okay... jeez,” The youngest replied as he made his way to the black hedgehog, “You probably already know, but I’m Silver. He/she/they, nice to meet you!” The pearl mobian smiled cheerfully, raising his hand in a high-five gesture. Shadow had _so_ many questions.

“Okay…? Nice to meet you?” A black furred hand raised and indeed, a high-five was what Silver wanted to do.

“Cool! Well, I need to go and buy some fertilizer for my succulents, but I’ll be back before dinner for sure. You guys gotta be good while I’m gone!”

“Silver!” Sonic yelled hopelessly; his cheeks could easily match Shadow’s eyes right now. Silver just laughed in response, echoing into the room quietly as he left the house.

“Okay, so is this a cultural thing? You know, the pronouns and high-five part.” The dark hedgehog asked, making his way to the yellow couch.

“I guess? I never really thought much about it. Well, some people use handshakes in other countries, so yeah, I guess high-fiving is a regional thing here. As for pronouns, I thought everybody does it? I mean, how else would you know how to address someone?”

“Hmmm…”

 _Good question_.

“... Most of the time, you just assume and hope you got it right, I guess.” _Wow, that sounded pathetic._ Shadow frowned, feeling bashful.

“Well, that’s weird. Luckily for you, Silver is fine with whatever you call him. And my pronouns you knew already, as I know yours. I do think it’s something you should keep in mind when you talk to someone else, though. Wouldn’t want to come out as disrespectful, since you aren’t.” Sonic smiled.

“Right,” Shadow agreed, lesson learned.

“Alright, let me show you to your room, so you can unpack,” The cobalt hedgehog said, leading him through the hallway and into one of the rooms.

Which was… very tender and aesthetic. Pastel purple walls, bright wooden furniture, lavender flowers on the windowsill… on a nightstand, there was a round, glass vase with lilacs in it. The bed had white sheets, with a gray, soft blanket placed on the top. A fuzzy pillow lay nearby, blushing in pomegranate.

“Silver decorated it,” Sonic beamed, full of pride. “He works as an interior and spatial designer. It shows, huh?” He asked with a smirk.

“Indeed.”

“Alright, I’m gonna give you some peace while I go and prepare some food for us,” The cobalt hedgehog commented, making his way to exit the room.

“Actually, I have brought a cheesecake with me. It would be best to eat it while it’s still fresh.” Shadow explained and Sonic looked… a little terrified?

“Wait. A cake is supposed to be sweet. And you put… actual cheese on a cake? Or do you just mean pizza?”

_What._

“No, uh, it’s with sweet cheese, it has nothing to do with the cheese you’d normally put on a pizza. Have you never had it before?” Shadow asked back, confused.

“No, but I’m willing to try,” Sonic shrugged contently. Shadow reached inside his suitcase, handing the pastry to the cobalt hedgehog. Sonic’s charcoal nose moved from his pale muzzle eagerly, sniffing the dessert through the plastic bag. “Oh man, that smells absolutely delish! Like peaches, and vanilla, and just—! It’s great! Do you eat it cold or warm?”

“Both are alright, although I prefer it warm. Three minutes in the oven should be perfect. Also, I wonder how you know pizza, which is a Spagonian treat, but have no idea what cheesecake is even though it’s pretty much everywhere.” The demigod’s tan muzzle twisted in a slight smirk.

“Well, maybe in your world!” Sonic pouted and pushed Shadow’s shoulder gently, following the action with laughter, wanting to ensure that he was not serious.

“I’ll go and prepare some milk with honey to go with it. You just stay here, relax and unpack, hǎo ma?” The young mobian said before swiftly covering his mouth, embarrassed, “Hah, sorry, old habits are hard to break. Take your time, _okay_?” He made sure to put extra emphasis on the last word while leaving the room.

Unsurprisingly, the first thing Shadow did was lie down on the bed, sinking into its softness. The two hadn’t ventured much, and in fact he had slept most of the day off, but it didn’t change the fact that he felt really tired.

_Guess it’s true that travels are tiring regardless of how you go through them._

He lay like that for what he hoped was a few minutes, judging by how it didn’t feel like long; probably five, if he were to guess. He got up and got to unpacking, starting with the most important items — his camera, lens, and tripod. He put the respective camera pieces together and placed it on the tripod, which he then moved to stand in front of the bed. He smiled fondly at the sight before proceeding with the rest of his belongings.

Half an hour later, everything was set in its appropriate place, looking tidy, and, well, finally like someone actually lived there. The brown, now empty suitcase found its spot under the bed. Shadow exited the room and returned to the living room, finding Sonic in the kitchen connected to it. He stood in front of the counter, smiling and blushing, lost in thought. He didn’t seem to notice the demigod walk into the room, so Shadow spoke up.

“Where is the bathroom? I’d like to freshen up a little before we start eating,” The older of the two asked calmly, breaking Sonic’s strange trance.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, um, it’s the first door on the left when you go upstairs, suit yourself!”

After finishing his matter he returned downstairs, where Sonic, and well, apparently Silver now too, were sitting on the couch in front of a square shaped tea table, which already had the cake, small plates, forks, and milk mugs waiting on it.

“Welcome back,” Shadow greeted as he took a seat next to the albino hedgehog.

“Thanks,” Silver smiled, grabbing a slice of the cake, “So, this is something I have never seen before. Is it like a treat from your motherland or somethin’?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that —it’s kind of common in the general area I live in, in many countries. But yeah, it seems like it’s not so prevalent over here,” The dark hedgehog explained, taking a slice and bringing a small bite to his mouth. It felt sweet and peachy and warm — just how he liked it best. Miss Vanilla’s baking skills never failed to rise the sun in him.

He turned his attention to the two hedgehogs as they eyed the pastry with a curious look. It was childish and a little amusing, if not a little adorable.

In the end, both of them took a bite, and their faces sprung with excitement and awe as gold and emerald shined brightly, joy radiating from them.

“This. Is. _Awesome!”_ Both hedgehogs exclaimed as they finished a couple more slices in a matter of seconds.

“Sho, woul’ya mayn’ tee’fin’ us ‘at?” Sonic managed through chews of the sweet treat.

Shadow rolled his eyes. “Sure, it’s not really that hard.”

The alabaster hedgehog swallowed the remains of his overly-generous serving and decided to join the conversation.

“Oh man, your beau knows how to bake. You’ve got the Silver Stamp-of-Approval.”

“Silver!” Sonic found himself crying out again for the second time that day.

And again, the only response he got was a cheerful laugh, paired now with a pat on his back.

_This is gonna be a crazy two weeks._

 

They stayed like this, just joking and bantering, until the moon maiden decided to ascend into the sky for the world to see.

Sonic and Shadow were standing on the terrace in front of the house, looking at the stars above them. Pale arms folded and rested on the wooden rail as a pleased smile made its way to his apricot muzzle.

A few feet away from him, Shadow was leaning against the wooden wall of the cottage, observing the sky from where he was.

They stayed like this — silent and content — until the younger of the two decided to speak up.

“You know — I bet the view is much better from over here, there’s no roof covering your vision,” Sonic suggested, leaning past the rail line and taking in the soft, night breeze. “And the wind feels great, too. My only mistress.”

Shadow did not comment on that in any way — he didn’t know how. However, his friend did have a point —the sky probably would look far more enticing from where Sonic was standing. Slowly, hesitantly, he made his way closer to the other mobian, stopping right next to him. Sonic’s smile seemed to get a little wider at Shadow’s ministrations. His sea of green turned its attention back to the little gems in the sky.

“Do you think… that stars, sometimes… do they wish to reach the ground, just like we yearn to reach them from down here?”

Shadow pondered the thought for a while. It didn’t even surprise him that Sonic asked such a question — they definitely have been through more bizarre topics than this before.

“Perhaps, some of them, or even most of them would. If stars had souls and minds of their own, that is. It’s only natural to long for something you can’t have,” the dark hedgehog answered, but immediately after these words left his mouth, his breath caught hard in his throat. This hit too close to home.

 

_I don’t want these powers! Give me back my mortality!_

 

The desperate cry, even after so many years, felt raw and sharp inside his head.

_It only seemed to amuse Solaris further, however, as the bitter laughter of the sun god spread through the shrine in response to his yell._

_“A deal is a deal. I am a fair trader — I’m not going back on my word. You should be thankful to that human girl for saving your life, you know. As for your chaos powers…. I will forgive you for blasting off my shrine this once, simply because I have so many of them already. But we’ll definitely have to train you to control your new powers; I don’t want you inducing a chaos blast everytime you lose your temper.”_

_“I’m not going anywhere with you! I won’t be undergoing any training, I will not be using these powers, and I sure don’t plan to be grateful to you for killing Maria!” Shadow yelled back, choking on his tears._

 

Dark lids fell closed, trying hard to push the memory away.

Sonic didn’t see the other’s inner turmoil, however, as he just kept the conversation going.

“True. And, well, to be honest, from the standpoint of a guy that loves adventure, I can tell you that the more impossible something is to reach, the more ya yearn for it. If there is no challenge between you and the goal, the achievement does not bring that crazy rush of joy,” his blue friend continued, and Shadow only nodded, his tongue heavy as a rock.

“Then again… maybe it’s better if the stars don’t know this feeling. Even through caught dreams and jubilant adventures, they would eventually come to a point where they face their limits, face the impossible… something that is, and forever will be out of their reach.” Lush orbs darkened with sadness for a moment, after which Sonic spoke yet again. “I’ll still continue to chase my dreams, though. I still want to catch the tail of the tiger in the clouds. One day, I’ll outrun Madame Wind herself. And her stupid tiger.” he stuck his tongue out at the last part.

A dry chuckle left his lips after that. He looked back into the coral irises, trust shimmering in his own green ones.

“And… I hope you’ll be there with me to share it.”

A small smile Shadow was sure he will later deny bloomed on his tan muzzle. A little bit of the weight was lifted off his heart and his throat, freeing him to speak up.

“I hope so, too…”

Their attention went back to the universe above them, until the events of the day had proven too much for the two. The young hedgehog yawned, covering his muzzle with his right hand loosely.

“Alrighty, time to hit the hay,” Sonic said, his voice getting a little hoarse from exhaustion.

Both hedgehogs went back inside, each planning to go to their respective rooms. The blue speedster went toward the stairs, while Shadow proceeded to go to his room near the hallway. However, before the cobalt mobian disappeared upstairs, he turned around to speak to his dark counterpart once more.

“Sweet dreams, Shadow! Thanks for coming.” He looked so tired and yet, the joyous gleam was still present in the deep forest of his eyes.

The ebony hedgehog’s lips blossomed upward yet again. He took a hold of the doorknob, twisting it slightly as he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Sweet dreams to you too, Sonic. The sweetest of them all.”


	7. Capture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm really, REALLY sorry for the lack of activity this month, but it has been pretty crazy lately for me, some training from my job and activities regarding house loan, plus some medical issues ^^" but I'm back now, and hoping to make up for my absence c: next chapters should go back to their usual pace - 3 weeks in between. Hope you enjoy it!

When the blue speedster woke up the next morning, he felt on top of the world. The seagulls sang their hymns and the golden glow of trees was beautiful, and while it usually would be enough to put him in a good mood, there was more to it.

He went downstairs and into the guest room upon hearing Shadow’s permission, and for a second… he just stared, admiring how the golden light reflected on his charcoal fur.

Sonic’s eclipse.

“So! What do you wanna do today?” The blue boy asked, thankful the vines of awe had finally let go of his throat.

He offered the other hedgehog a bright smile, which Shadow reciprocated. Well, it wasn’t as big and excited, but it _was_ there. Peeking through the dark with it’s amber gleam.

 

“I was thinking we could walk around the island for the day. There are lots of places I would like to photograph. The wildlife, the nature here… it has so much potential and beauty.”

 _Not as beautiful as you_ —Sonic thought what he didn’t dare say out loud.

Still, he agreed. And as he observed Shadow walk around the nearby jungle, carrying a giant bag filled with photography equipment, ruby orbs _glowing_ with passion, curiosity, admiration—he knew he made the right decision to do this.

“Let’s make a stop here, I would like to capture this pond with the rocks and flowers,” the dark hedgehog said, setting down the tripod and joining together the appropriate parts before getting to work. The blue hedgehog smiled at first, but after he realized just _how much_ preparation it takes to shoot a picture, he started feeling _ridiculously_ bored.

“So, why does it take so much time? Isn’t it like one click and bam, done?” Sonic asked, Shadow chuckling at his restless friend’s question.

“Well yeah, it is one click. That’s exactly why it has to be measured precisely and perfectly. Come here,” Sonic did as was told, and moved to stand next to Shadow to peer at the camera. “See?”

Striped hands rotated the camera gently with Sonic’s eyes still fixated on the screen. “One move, even a delicate one, and everything changes. The light, the perspective. It’s not just about one click. It’s about finding the right spot, the right moment, and the perfect second to capture the world around you to keep with you forever.”

There was so much happiness on Shadow’s face — he was glowing. This was the first time he got to see the other hedgehog like this and he couldn’t help it; Sonic realized that he wanted to —  _needed_ to — make sure Shadow would radiate like this as often as possible. And even though he hated staying still, if that’s all the ebony hedgehog asked for, he would do it.

Well, that doesn’t mean he can’t walk around and make some flower crowns while waiting for him to be done, though.

“Alright, I got the point now. But, it’s also about capturing memories, right? What do ya say we capture some of them with that lil’ guy?” Sonic sped forward until he was standing in front of the camera. “Come on, don’t leave me hanging!” Warm honey reached out to grab elegant midnight.

They were so close, the camera automatically clicking picture after picture as Sonic tried one pose after another —pulling Shadow’s quills, offering a warm embrace the ebony hedgehog couldn’t help but enjoy despite how hard he tried not to think about it, pulling on his ears in not a painful, yet annoying matter — and trying to piggyback the older hedgehog — only to fall onto the floor with a yelp, which Sonic probably should have expected with the other’s quills pointed upward.

They visited so many more places afterward—  the beach, parks, islands and suburbs. The more pictures taken of both the two friends and elements of the background, the more the striped hedgehog found mesmerizing.

“Every little moment, if beautiful, deserves a spotlight. It’s a shame for it to go unnoticed,” Shadow rambled with passion, lost in his world. And for once, the blue hedgehog was let inside this world, to watch and feel through the eyes of coral.

Sonic felt like he was discovering his homeland anew. Never did he ever try to look at Christmas Island with the eyes of a tourist. Sure, he was always aware that the place was beautiful and the food was great, but it never seemed to fill him with these bubbly, heated sparkles, much like the ones of a warm champagne. He thought of himself as soil, the ground he felt beneath his feet. Little seeds sprinkled inside of him when he looked into the pools of red and took their roots, sowing into something more beautiful than he could understand.

They were sipping milkshakes they grabbed on their way to the pier —Sonic choosing the peanut-butter one, despite Shadow saying that it’s ‘too salty to be enjoyable’, and Shadow choosing a soothing combination of mint and white chocolate, frowning when the younger hedgehog took a third straw and placed it in the grumpy hog’s cup, knowing already what the other was planning to do. And even though what happened was exactly what he not-so eagerly expected —Sonic stealing sips from Shadow’s drink every once in a while— he couldn’t bring himself to tell his joyous friend to stop his ministrations.

Especially since the air felt warm and soothing, and everything was golden, and the wooden planks felt like home when he was stroking them, closing eyes once, twice, breathing in….

“You know, I’m kind of glad you like photography so much,” the cheerful voice spoke, words dancing with the breeze. “Next week, there will be the festival of equinox and I was wondering if you would like to go with me, maybe. You could capture the entire event,” his eyes twisted in a shy smile, cheeks dusted with slight pink — nothing too harsh, just a delicate tint that didn’t go unnoticed to someone as observant as Shadow.

“Well, I don’t see why not, but what does this festival look like?” The darker speedster spoke in a soft voice, charcoal lids barely open. This day has been so tiring….

“Hmm, we eat food? We have these sun-shaped cookies we always make during the festival, the whole village will meet on the beach to dance, sing, and we’ll drink some champagne, Solaris will pop in, say a couple of things, the village will praise him, then everyone will make a flower crown for whoever they care most about. And, at midnight, all of the crowns will set sail when we drop them in the sea. Sounds kinda fun, right?”

_Yeah, it does, but there is one catch…._

“... Solaris?”

“Well, yeah. We have two festivals of equinox each year — the spring festival dedicated to Dark Gaia, and the fall festival of equinox dedicated to Solaris. Since from here on days will be getting shorter and shorter, with Dark Gaia prolonging the nights, we want to thank Solaris for all the bright days. Feeling shy? Don’t worry, gods are busy people, er, beings. They won’t stay long. They will probably say like one sentence and then vanish to take care of whatever they have on their agenda.”

_Well, it’s not about that. More like about my utter hatred for him…._

But still, if he was only going to be there for a second….

“Alright. I’ll go.”

He wasn’t feeling confident about his decision, but these warm hands, the happiness burning into his body, the fluttering of his heart… it made him want to follow Sonic everywhere even though he couldn’t point out why.

“Awesome! So, maybe you wanna get back? I’m getting a little hungry and it’s Silver’s turn to cook, which is great news. The stuff they make is deelish, you’ll see!” Despite asking, Sonic got up and grabbed the bag with Shadow’s photography equipment. So much for offering a choice… then again, he was really tired and had no reason to decline.

  


_‘This is_ **_so_ ** _not how you Chaos Blast,’_ The dark jackal said, looking and sounding extremely bored at Shadow’s failed attempts at controlling his powers. With one snap of a finger, the fuchsia clones for target practice disappeared, leaving the two demigods alone among the clouds. _‘Take a little break, recharge your chaos energy and try again.’_

 _‘Why am I even here? You’re the demigod of death, right? Can’t you make me mortal? You’d have one hassle off your shoulders and I would have my mortality again.’_ Shadow pointed out, clearly displeased. He disliked being treated like a kid, especially by someone as Infinite -- the jackal was extremely grumpy, and it seemed like nothing could bring him joy. On every possible occasion, he made sure to point out how much of a pain in the ass Shadow was to him. But it’s not like Shadow asked to be here; Solaris arranged that!

_‘And bestow upon myself the wrath of Solaris? I’d rather put up with you until I can let you go. But if you insist on dying and thus sparing me the pain of training you — demigods are not entirely immortal.’_

_‘Huh?’_

Gold and blue flashed with annoyance as Infinite let out an exhausted growl. _‘Well, yeah, idiot. This is one of the differences between gods and demigods —while demigods are resistant to nearly every single cause of death, there is still a way to kill us. You know, like a self-destruct button gods implemented inside of you if you dare to disobey; Poison,’_ another illusion flashed before his eyes, displaying the flask filled with what Shadow supposed was the subject in question, _‘Our stomachs work like these of mortals. And while it is possible for you to reconstruct an organ if it’s been ripped out or injured, a poison strong enough will attack the rest of your body before your stomach can regenerate.’_

This sounded like a very slow and painful death, and it frightened the young hedgehog. He wasn’t sure if he was willing to go that far….

_‘Anyway, I don’t feel like dying with my limbs decaying on me while I’m alive, so either finish my training or do us both a favor and end it all.’_

The ebony hedgehog was about to speak up and say a word or two, but the black jackal had already spawned another set of clones.

_‘The break’s over. Try again.’_

  


“-s to Shadow!” The dual-chromed hedgehog heard a voice, a familiar one. He blinked and could see a gloved hand waving in front of his face.

“Eh?”

“You still with me, bud?” Sea of green looked into passionate ruby with concern and child-like interest. It was then that Shadow noticed that his flashback took way too much attention from him. The dark hedgehog grabbed a hold of the palm in front of his face and slowly, tenderly put Sonic’s hand away to rest beside him.

“Yeah, it’s okay now.”

Their hands stayed united when they resumed their walk home along the beach, both of the two pretending not to notice, if just to make it last.

Sonic took the opportunity to finally try to do _his_ favorite part of their day.

“Hey, Shads,” The caring, warm summer leaves danced and fluttered in his eyes, leaving Shadow extremely curious so as to what had gotten his cobalt friend so excited. His questioning gaze only seemed to soar that mesmerizing little sparkle of bewilderment; it felt like the cloudless sky had caught in the other’s quills, inviting him in, along with those happy emeralds gleaming brighter than a dozen zircons exposed to the morning sun.

“Wanna race?“

 


	8. Take a fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry for that delay, however, I have definitely needed that break to recharge my batteries. Now I'm back and hopefully better than ever <3 for those of you who worried about the story discontinuing --have no worries, I have this story planned from A to Z, from the first to the very last chapter and I will not cease until all of this is published (or well, unless it turns out everybody suddenly hates it lol), so yeah! Without further ado I hope you enjoy this one :)

 

Sonic’s lush green eyes looked sharp and focused, faintly reminding Shadow of the pristine stems of a gladiolus plant; always challenging, always ready to start a new adventure.

The robust, young hedgehog looked up, irises dazzling as they reached for the sky. The ebony male took this second to notice every little detail about the other, including how his fellow mobian’s quills bounced up in reaction to his movement. They were sharp and their color seemed cold, but to Shadow everything about the younger hedgehog was anything but that; he was as warm and gentle as the sunset.

And deep blue like her sweet, loving eyes.

The curly petals folded as the cobalt lids slid halfway, hiding the young boy’s secrets from the world.

And then, there it was. That daring smirk Shadow couldn’t refuse,couldn’t help but  _ reciprocate _ .

_ “You’re on.” _

With that, the two hedgehogs sped forward.

“Oh, yeah!” Sonic let out an excited yell, looked at the sky above, laughing along the way. He did not get to notice the warm bloom that adorned Shadow’s cheeks upon seeing his friend in such a blissful state, however, which the demigod was grateful for. He didn’t want the other to know, ever.“I’ll lead the way!”

Their beginning path was right through the ocean, which would have been concerning if not that their extreme velocity allowed them to stay on the surface without any problem. When droplets jumping into their eyes turned became too irritating, Sonic and Shadow redirected their track to land, entering one of the jungles on the other side to the island.

For a second, Shadow allowed himself to adore the area -- golden leaves, the scent of autumn, it never felt like enough. Acacia branches twisting gracefully, combined with the grass beneath them, twisting and turning in response to each step they made… it was intoxicating and at that moment, he fully understood why Sonic wanted to race him so much -- they were speeding up, pushing their limits, seeing how far they could go and they were in this together. Running, jumping, laughing, and watching nature trying to cope with their blades of sheer speed. Shadow felt the sensation consume him completely, and frankly, his blue companion was in no better state.

Sonic felt the fire’s delicious, kind hands as it reached for him. Blazing the skin as the tips of its fingers stroke wherever they could reach; step after step followed as the blue hedgehog bounced, letting his toes touch the ground, only to push back up again. Step after step.

“Let’s take a loop around the forest and head back to my place, okay?!” The young speedster yelled, tenor voice slightly hoarse from all the panting and happy yells. Shadow only nodded in approval and decided to focus on the path.

Which… was very tricky. the jungle had plenty of obstacles to offer— be it tree roots, vines or rocks, to only name a few, it was difficult to concentrate on them all. While Shadow constantly found himself watching the road intensely, careful not to fall, it seemed like Sonic didn’t have any problems, dashing through the place like he has been here millions of times. Which he most probably has.

Seeing Shadow so caught up in their race, Sonic took his time to observe the dark male without worrying about the ebony male noticing him. Shadow seemed to be enjoying himself, too. The small smile on his face confirmed that and it pleased Sonic greatly.

Both were doing what they excelled at… and Sonic couldn’t help but feel sheer happiness that finally,   _ finally _ he had found someone who can keep up with him. Sure, his fellow mobians were great company, but just… he always had this silent wish that he could meet someone, anyone, that could race him as equals, allowing him to unleash his full potential. Because oh boy, did Sonic the Hedgehog crave a good challenge.

And this wish came true, thanks to Shadow. 

The former smiled fondly at his counterpart.

When Silver and Shadow were around, things seemed less lonely. The blue hedgehog felt at that moment as if this happiness alone was enough to fill this dark void clawing at his desolated heart. Heal the burnt areas wherever its acid licked the tender body.

Sonic the Hedgehog thought of himself as the optimist. He saw life in bright colors and joyous sparkles, believing in there being a way out regardless of how hopeless the situation seemed to be.

And while lately the pain came back to him more often than not, and every morning felt so dreadful and greyed out, the black hedgehog seemed to add the the vibrant hues Sonic’s life missed so much. Painting with all the right tints that the canvas of his heart lacked for what has seemed like ages now; lush eyes went closed and Sonic grinned, relishing in that joyful feeling that’s been missing for a while now.

He let the thought warm his insides like hot chocolate for a while, until he felt a sharp tug on his foot, immediately followed by pain. He didn’t even register the desperate yell of his own name behind him, his head spinning as the young hedgehog fell to the ground, focused on getting his senses back. The present seemed to roll by at an agonizingly slow pace.

The black hedgehog couldn’t say the same, however. For him, who was much aware of his surroundings, the situation looked critical, if not dangerous. In one second, he saw Sonic trip on one of the tree roots, in another he noticed the blue hedgehog’s speed was enough to rip out the sapling from the ground, ready to fall right in the direction it was pulled toward.

So he dashed to his companion, ignoring the scratches of the twigs irritating his skin, Sonic’s safety being the only thing on his mind right now. In one swift motion, the Chaos sparks eliminated the plant matter trapping the blue speedster’s right ankle. Then, the two were already spinning in a different direction, and Shadow took this moment to thank Gaia for giving him his godlike speed as the ability— any regular mobian or human would not be able to make it in such a short timespan.

“W-whuh?” when Sonic opened his eyes again as the two hedgehogs ceased spinning. He was still lying on the forest ground, but this time, there were obsidian arms wrapped tightly around his frame, shuddering slightly as Shadow tightened his grip around his friend’s shoulders.

“What’s going on?” The blue hedgehog asked, dumbfounded.

It was then that Shadow felt the bleeding wound that formed on his left arm heal at the regular demigod pace. Which was  _ definitely _ not a regular healing progress to any other living being and that would not only freak Sonic out, but also give away his secret. So Shadow buried his face in the crook of Sonic’s neck, carefully hiding his left shoulder from the other’s view, holding him only with his other hand, trying to ignore the wildfire spreading through his insides at the sensation, as well as the way the emerald eyes glazed over with something so, so very lovely that he didn’t want to look away…

But he did. The dark hedgehog got up, hoping he will do a good job at ignoring that lost look those jade eyes were giving him.

“You tripped, but that much you already know, I suppose. I don’t think you’re aware you ripped out the entire tree in the process, though,” The older of the two explained and offered a hand to Sonic, which the cerulean hedgehog gladly accepted, pulling himself up from the forest ground.

“Well uh, stuff happens? Thanks for the save, though,” Sonic laughed and scratched his ear, not sure if he’s okay with how hot his face felt at that moment. He tried making a step forward with his right leg, only to find out it was extremely painful to do so. “Uh, I think I twisted my ankle. So much for our race then, I guess,” he noted bitterly.

Shadow didn’t seem to be affected by that in the slightest, though. Without a word he took a hold of the blue hedgehog’s arm and started walking. Slowly, carefully, warning Sonic of every single bump and rock coming their way, he helped his injured friend out whenever he stumbled without even a whisper of complaint.

It was heartwarming, but also concerning, in its own way. Because Sonic knew he never hesitated to shove his superiority in Silver’s or Knuckles’ face whenever he won their friendly spars. He hadn’t stopped and thought that maybe he shouldn’t have overdone it with his cocky jokes. But Shadow did stop and even though he could mock his friend about his slip, he didn’t. All he did was show compassion and care and that made Sonic feel remorseful of his past actions. If roles were reversed, he definitely would have said a word or two too much to his dark counterpart. Once again, his feet felt like they might give up on him at any moment and Sonic stumbled, however, Shadow pulled him back with his arm. It’s the third time this has happened already and Sonic was surprised Shadow did not voice any complaint yet to the harsh treatment his arm received with every unexpected tug.

“Thanks, Shads,” Sonic said, smiling as he noticed his shy friend’s cheeks heat up, a little darker shade of brown adorning his muzzle. Shadow got flustered and looked away, but his reaction was precious to Sonic nonetheless.

“Don’t mention it.”

“Well, it is important to me… I know at least a couple of people that would use this moment to their advantage to mock me for my carelessness.”

“I think it’s a matter of focus, really. I prefer to focus on how I could help you instead of how to humiliate you, unless you prefer the latter?” Shadow replied, cocky grin, much like the one from before the race coming back to his features.

“No, of course not,” Sonic chuckled, “I’m just glad, that’s all.”

“I used to take care of my big sister quite often,” Shadow replied, “she had… quite an unfortunate bone disease. Osteopathy if you wanna call it that. Point is, she was breaking her bones often, so after a while I learned how to take care of people in situations involving broken or twisted limbs. I never made fun of her for that and I certainly wouldn’t make fun of you either.” Ebony shoulders shrugged, “Like you said yourself, stuff happens.”

“Woah, you have a sister?” Blue ears perked up in curiosity, “I never knew! How is she? Are her quills as cool as yours?”

Shadow visibly flinched, spines tensing up a little and Sonic panicked, not sure what that was supposed to mean. He didn’t have to wait long for the explanation, though.

“She’s dead.” 

The deadpan answer was short and straight to the point, and yet it only brought more questions. Sonic frowned.

“What? But, how—”

“Please, not now.” Pleading coral eyes met surprised green and Sonic knew. His head rested on Shadow’s arm. He understood way more than the black hedgehog might have suspected.

“Okay.”

After all, Sonic himself had to admit that the horrifying plea for help from his own memories often kept him awake at night, regardless of how much he tried to hide it from the world.

Thinking about his friend still hurt, there’s no point in denying that. But that doesn’t mean he will let it show. There always were tons of people counting on him and he was determined to get better as soon as possible. Not only for himself, but also because he could go back to doing what he did best. 

_ If only that bereavement leave could go by any faster _ , Sonic thought dreadfully.

There are many things he still hadn’t told Shadow, even though he wanted to. But all of these words just seemed so hard to get past his lips, things he wanted to say were so complicated it felt like solving the mystery of the of Secret Zones would be easier than talking about what has been on the troubled mobian’s mind.

Sonic closed his eyes and followed Shadow’s every warning as he got lost in his memories. He could nearly feel the sand digging mercilessly between his toes as it slowed him down, mocking his efforts to get to his friend as fast as possible. If he concentrated hard enough, he could sense the salty water irritating his throat and his nose. And that horrible pounding in his head. The painful grip of his fellow mobian’s hand that wasn’t strong enough.

He shuddered.

“Are you okay?” Shadow’s voice sounded concerned, “We are home, open your eyes.” The ebony hedgehog kneeled in front of his usually cheerful friend. That frown really didn’t suit Sonic’s consistently smiling face.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine! It’s just, my leg and my head hurts a ton, you know,” Sonic answered sheepishly and scratched his ear, “Man, I won’t be able to run for weeks after that… no running for so long is going to make me go nuts.” Technically, that wasn’t untrue.

A small smile ghosted the demigod’s face and the blue speedster felt a tiny spark of relief.

“It’s okay, there will be many more things we will be able to do to keep you busy.” the older of the two answered as he opened the door to Sonic’s house, “Now, I think the best thing for us to do right now is to get you patched up and—” the sight Shadow witnessed as he entered the house surprised him so much he suddenly forgot all the words he had wanted to say.

Inside, Silver was preparing various decorations for the Festival of Equinox - paper cups, lampions, posters - some with the sun symbol on them, some in the shape of Solaris’ wings. He stiffened.

“Hey, Shads, you okay?” Sonic limped to his friend, who at the moment seemed anything  _ but _ okay. He waved a hand in front of Shadow’s face, but even that didn’t get the attention he hoped for and quickly, a new emotion appeared on Shadow’s face.

Anger.

The albino hedgehog was surprised to see such emotion twist on the black hedgehog’s face, a look of confusion in amber eyes confirming it. And, being the caring hedgehog they were, they immediately tried to locate the source of the negative feeling.

“Look, I know this is taking a little bit of space in the living room and all, but after I’m done I can just—”

“No, it’s not about that. I’m sorry, please continue doing your thing,” Shadow cut Silver off and stormed to his room, leaving both hedgehogs dumbfounded.

A moment of silence passed in the living room and surprisingly, the albino hedgehog was the first to speak.

“... What is  _ up _ with people constantly cutting me off lately? Come on, let a person finish their sentence,” Silver pouted.

“I dunno buddy, but I bet there had to be a reason for that. I’ll talk to him.” Sonic pat his friend’s shoulder and proceeded to limp to Shadow’s room, furniture turning out to be a very helpful tool when it came to walking around the house.

_ Note to self: medium-height furniture is your friend when you have issues walking,  _ Sonic thought.

Two clumsy steps were all it took for Silver to notice the difference in the cobalt hedgehog’s walking style and ask:

“What happened to your leg? It might be better to patch it up first,” The telekinetic mobian pointed to Sonic’s injured limb with their hand.

“I twisted my ankle during a little race with Shadster. And yeah, it does need patching, but I made it to the house which took…” Sonic paused to look at his wristwatch, “... Half an hour, oh boy. Anyway, I survived this much without patching it up, I’m sure I can survive five more minutes without nursing. I’ll just check out what’s up with Shads and I’ll be back.”

The white hedgehog sighed, knowing there was no use in arguing with Sonic. Not over things like this, anyway.

“You two really went all out, huh? Alright, five minutes and not a second longer.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sonic waved his friend off and proceeded to the room his troubled guest was in.

Meanwhile, Shadow paid no attention to the conversation going on outside of his room. Tears welled up in his eyes as he held onto an old picture displaying him, Grandpa and Maria from so long ago. The sepia photograph was bleak, but the quality of the paper stayed as good as the day it was taken thanks to the frame it was guarded in. He used his glove to wipe off the droplets that had gathered on the surface.

The door opened suddenly, and the demigod’s face sprung up in shock, not used to the door being open without knocking first.

“Shadow?” Sonic asked, concerned. Concern turned into pure sadness upon noticing the tears in his friend’s eyes, “What happened?” He wanted to walk up to his friend, but Shadow quickly got up and stopped his concerned friend’s ministrations to gently walk him up to the bed.

“You shouldn’t be walking, we should patch you up,” the dark hedgehog said, “I’ll go get a bowl and a towel. Where do you keep hydrogen peroxide? Your wounds look awful,” Shadow spoke fast as if in a trance and Sonic wanted none of that at the moment. He raised a hand, urging Shadow to stop for a moment.

“Hey, hey, hey. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but slow down there, buddy. I am not bleeding out on ya, I’m sure I can spare a couple of minutes. What’s the matter, Shads? Either you were being a total douche to Silver, or you had an important reason to act the way you did. And judging by your state right now,” Sonic paused here to wipe some tears off Shadow’s face gently, “I think you had.”

Shadow looked away, pondering what to say for a while, before he sighed and began to speak.

“I always… blamed Solaris for the death of my sister,” he started, looking at a blank point on the wall behind Sonic, missing the way emerald eyes widened upon hearing these words, “I contacted him so often, begging him to bring Maria back. I miss her so much. I miss Grandpa, I miss Maria, I miss my family… I…” Shadow’s voice cracked as he wrapped his arms around that blue idiot he couldn’t help but feel attracted to.

“Sometimes… no, always. I think I should have been the one to burn down along with our house. Not them. They had so much to offer to this world, and I… I was just one orphan, no one would have missed me if we never met.”

“Hold on… burned down? Orphan? I don’t want to force anything on you, but I have so many questions right now,” the blue speedster replied, returning the gentle hug.

Shadow, instead of explaining, handed the picture to Sonic, which he held so gently as if it would shatter if he gripped too tight.

“They’re humans….”

“Yeah. I had been adopted into the Robotnik family. Both Grandpa and Maria were great people -- witty, smart, stubborn, and with a good heart. Grandpa’s main income came through his scientific researches on various chemicals and their combinations. One day, however, he miscalculated, and... “ the dark hedgehog closed his eyes and Sonic could see this was killing him, “The explosion set the house on fire. I tried saving him, but I just couldn’t save him in time, and…”

“The last memories I have of him are these horrible screams as he burnt alive. And I could do nothing to help him.”

It was Sonic’s turn to get teary eyed. He understood. He knew it so well. 

“Shadow… what about Maria?”

It was so hard to speak, but Shadow made it. Sonic deserved to know at least this much.

“She died protecting me.”

Nothing more was said about  _ the incident  _ ever since-- in fact, it has gotten oddly quiet, so Shadow chose this moment to leave the room and look for a certain albino hedgehog. Which turned out to be extremely easy, since they were still sitting in the living room, cutting another piece of a paper decoration.

“Hey, Silver,” what was meant to be said in a questioning tone came out as an announcement, given to how rough his voice had gotten. Still, it gathered the reaction he hoped for -- golden eyes looking up, offering their attention.

“Hey,” The other replied in a simple tone. They didn’t seem upset or anything of the sort, however, he still wanted to make sure there were no misunderstandings between them. 

The dark hedgehog took a deep breath, hoping he will be able to make things right.

“Look, I’m really sorry about what I did. I just… want to let you know, I was not upset with any of your actions and I never wanted it to be viewed as such. Still… I apologize if I hurt your feelings anyhow.”

Silver blinked a couple times, before they finally understood what that was about and waved their hand.

“Pshh, don’t worry ‘bout it. I am not the type to hold onto grudge for too long. Apologies accepted.” A smirk appeared on the pale muzzle and Shadow sighed in relief.

“Thanks. Do you need any help with these? I could lend a hand when I’m done fixing Sonic up,” the ebony hedgehog offered but his fellow mobian shook their head.

“Nah, I’m good. Now go help out that blue pincushion, he’s been extremely lonely lately. A little care and friendship will do him well.”

Ruby eyes widened slightly at these words. 

_ What was that supposed to mean? _

“... What?”   
It was Silver’s turn to look surprised.

“Oh, he hadn’t told you yet? Nevermind then, just go patch your bae up. There is a medkit in the cupboard above the sink in the kitchen,” Silver said while pointing toward the kitchen area. Shadow, albeit confused, decided to let the conversation slip and go get all the needed supplies for cleaning up Sonic’s wounds. Not too long after, the black hedgehog was already back in his bedroom, wrapping a bandage around the blue speedster’s ankle tightly, securing the damaged area. Sonic let him, too. He voiced no protests as his foot was being cleaned and the wounds around it disinfected, even though it stung a bit. There was only one particular question on his mind that he didn’t dare voice out loud. They both went through a lot today, this was not the right time to ask any more questions, and yet he couldn’t help but wonder...

_ … What does all that have to do with Solaris? _

He could only hope that this and many other questions he had regarding his dark friend’s past would be answered one day. Right now, however, he stayed silent and let Shadow bandage his ankle, wincing from time to time if the tug was too hard for his pain tolerance.

_ So much went wrong in both of our lives. _


	9. Knock knock, it’s...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I have a little announcement to make :D so I’ve had a tumblr account for a while, konwaliadoesthings.tumblr.com. I didn’t see a point in sharing it since I am mostly posting some doodles there, however! I decided to use it to also inform you on when new updates are going to be, what are my new story plans, and overall whatup regarding the future of the fics. Feel free to step by if you wanna :)

Today was the day when Shadow realized just how much the routine of Sonic’s life had affected them both. As it turned out, Sonic had taken a little vacation from his work to show Shadow around and be able to spend as much time with him as possible, which was a really kind gesture in the striped hedgehog’s mind.

Monday drifted away and as more days followed, and little by little, Shadow started to feel at home. Some mornings, he had coffee ready for all three hedgehogs by the time they woke up. Or, well, at least before Sonic woke up. Silver left for work pretty early in the morning, so they usually were there to drink coffee with Shadow.

At the present, the demigod was cleaning empty coffee mugs that were left after Silver went to work, and he smiled a little to himself. After so many years of trying to be as far away from people as possible, it felt so right, being this close to others, so right being inside a house and hearing footsteps other than his own.

Shadow the Hedgehog knew he missed social interactions, but he never would have guessed he missed them  _ this  _ much. His walls came crashing down quickly and he was only seconds away from sharing his secret with the two hedgehogs, letting emotions flow down like an avalanche.

He shook his head.  _ No,  _ he thought,  _ the festival is tomorrow. I don’t want to mess anything up. _

He had gotten to the point where he would be willing to do anything to not lose his friendship with the other two hedgehogs… and that frightened him.

It seemed already like the ground had been ripped out from under his feet, even if no one else could see that yet -- and finding something to hold on to was so difficult….

_ I am bound to see them die. I am bound to witness every possible ends, except my own. _

The two dry brown coffee mugs were left alone at the maple countertop, basking in the morning sun rays as Shadow made his way to sit on the couch in the living room, dialing his friend and hoping she would be awake by now.  _ What was the time in Apotos now, anyway? _

“Shadow? It’s seven in the freaking morning…”  _ Oh, yeah, that. _

The female voice  that came from the other side didn’t sound sleepy, but definitely annoyed, which wasn’t the tone Shadow was used to. Was something the matter?

“Hey, Rouge,” The striped mobian greeted his friend, “Something wrong? Usually you open the bar at this hour.”

“Ugh, don’t you start,” Rouge growled in a low tone, “My head hurts a ton, I’m heartbroken and in no mood to run business today.”

“Heartbroken? But, what about Blaze?” Shadow asked, astonished.

A long sigh could be heard in the telephone speakers.

“Let me tell you something, my handsome gay friend. Chicks be crazy. It ended before it even got a good chance to start. Turned out she got along better with some kind of lemur girl with a creepy tail and I was just a good friend to her all along. I know, I know, it’s no one’s fault she fell for someone else, but I can still be salty about it.”

The demigod pondered the idea for a while. Yeah, if it happened to him, he would be hurt. A lot. However, he guessed it would help him feel better if he kept himself busy, so that was exactly what recommended to his grieving friend.

“Perhaps, but what good will it do to you to cut your business short and lie down with a hangover? You got this, Rouge.”

The female bat sighed and to the demigod, it sounded like an opening, perhaps a little spark of hope in this entire situation and Shadow smiled. He hated not being able to be with her right now but he was glad he could offer at least a tiny bit of support.

The metaphorical bubble vanished as soon as it appeared, though. “Hmph, the day I find my true love will be the day I let you drink for free for an entire month.” Shadow frowned, feeling like they are back to the square one.

“Well, you still have quite a bit of time ahead—“ The dark hedgehog started, before Rouge cut him off, “—not as much as you—“

“Rouge,” Shadow snarled, irritated. He didn’t enjoy being reminded of his immortality. So he cut that exchange short and finished his original thought. “ You still have a lot of time to find your princess or prince charming. I know it hurts, but she’s just one Blaze, okay?”

“Yeah… I’m not opening the bar today, though, if that’s what you are hoping to get out of me.”

“Not at all. If you don’t want to open it today then don’t, but just... Don’t sit and mope around with booze all day. You will find someone great and worthy of you. Someone who will grow old with you,” ... _ Unlike me.  _ “And if she wasn’t the one, that means you’re still open and single for that special soul out there, right? That’s one less rival to your heart for them,” Shadow said with a smirk and the bat laughed in response.

“Perhaps,” She said, giggling some more before taking a deep breath, “I gotta go now, hun. Spend some time with your lover boy, will ya?”

“He’s  _ not _ my lover boy.”

“Yet!”

He didn’t bother answering, just pressed the “end call” button and rubbed his temple in annoyance. 

It was still very early in the morning, so Shadow decided to keep himself occupied with something until Sonic woke up; he decided reading was best for this time of the day, when the moon was slowly fading away. 

However, the only bookcase Shadow knew about in the house was… in the blue hedgehog’s room.

_ Would he be okay with me entering the room while he’s sleeping? _ Was Shadow’s first thought, followed quickly by _ Then again… I can just grab a book and leave quietly without waking him up. _

The idea seemed good enough for the mobian to proceed with it, so he set off to Sonic’s bedroom.

It was still dark outside, but the moment he slowly opened the wooden door, Shadow noticed that the blue hedgehog’s room was lit up by a small kerosene lamp, which was as pretty as it was surprising.  He hadn’t seen anyone use these for a while. Perhaps Sonic was a sucker for antics, he decided.

The young speedster was sleeping soundly, and yet, the lamp was shining brightly in the room.  _ Did he forget to turn it off? _

Shadow decided to not question it further and just proceed to the bookcase, browsing different spines until one in particular caught his interest.

It was… very old. Not to mention small-scale, and covered in childish scribbles made with what the striped hedgehog figured to be crayons, judging by how oily it felt to the touch. The look of the cover was distasteful, but for some reason he was still intrigued to look inside.

The dark hedgehog gasped when he noticed a photograph that was kept inside a book, right before the very first page.

It was a picture of Sonic with a young little fox kit, his fur golden and shiny. They were hugging and smiling brightly at the camera. It was the most beautiful smile Shadow had seen on the blue speedster’s face.

It was taken a while ago, he could tell. Sonic’s quills were short and bright, nearly teal —a clear sign it must have been taken years ago. Hedgehog quills take a while to grow long and develop their past-puberty color.

Shadow was sure he remembered the fox boy from somewhere, as well, but he failed to pin the certain memory to a person. 

Ruby eyes looked back to the sleeping hedgehog, then back to his younger self in the photo, feeling a little jealous he couldn’t have been by the blue boy’s side back then. Perhaps, life could have looked so different.

He shook his head.  _ No _ , he thought.

_ He had his fox friend, I had Maria. And I wouldn’t have exchanged her for anyone. _

The dark mobian flipped over the photograph, finding a small caption written with what used to be a black marker. Now, the ink looked more like blue in some places and even yellowish at the edges.

_ Happy birthday, Tails! 10.16.2001 _

That was all. Something so simple, yet so charming.

_ The boy and the Wolves _ , the title read in a neat, cursive font. So, it was a kids’ tale, Shadow smiled fondly at the caption, but put away the picture at the blue hedgehog’s desk. He sat in the red leather chair next to it, book still in hand; he decided to give it a try.

which, Shadow decided, he should have figured earlier by how thin it was and the scribbles on the cover. Applauding his own stupidity, he decided to move on and begin reading.

“Once upon a time, a human hunter built himself a house in the middle of a great forest, far away from all his tribe; for his heart was gentle and kind, and he was weary of the treachery and cruel deeds of those who had been his friends.”

Coral eyes lit up in curiosity, his mind occupied with nothing else besides the pretty words imprinted on the book paper. That, and the charming scent of vanilla that lingered on each page.

“So he left them, and took his wife and three children, and they journeyed on until they found a spot near to a clear stream, where they began to cut down trees, and to make ready their wigwam. For many years they lived peacefully and happily in this sheltered place, never leaving it except to hunt the wild animals, which served them both for food and clothes. At last, however, the strong man felt sick, and before long he knew he must die.”

The sun was slowly rising up, and chao outside were already starting their morning song, but the dark hedgehog just pressed on.

“So he gathered his family round him, and said his last words to them. 'You, my wife, the companion of my days, will follow me ere many moons have waned to the island of the blest. But for you, O my children, whose lives are but newly begun, the wickedness, unkindness, and ingratitude from which I fled are before you. Yet I shall go hence in peace, my children, if you will promise always to love each other, and never to forsake your youngest brother.’

'Never!' they replied, holding out their hands. And the hunter died content.”

By this point, it almost felt like Shadow lived the story trapped inside. He hadn’t even realized he opened his mouth, whispering the tales of old in a calm voice, as if in a daze.

“Scarcely eight moons had passed when, just as he had said, the wife went forth, and followed her husband; but before leaving her children she bade the two elder ones think of their promise never to forsake the younger, for he was a child, and weak. And while the snow lay thick upon the ground, they tended him and cherished him; but when the earth showed green again, the heart of the young man stirred within him, and he longed to see the wigwams of the village where his father's youth was spent.

Therefore he opened all his heart to his sister, who answered: 'My brother, I understand your longing for our fellow-men, whom here we cannot see. But remember our father's words. Shall we not seek our own pleasures, and forget the little one?

But he would not listen, and, making no reply, he took his bow and arrows and left the hut.”

_ Son of a gun, _ came across Shadow’s mind. He continued to flip the pages and discover more of the histories the story held.

“The snows fell and melted, yet he never returned; and at last the heart of the girl grew cold and hard, and her little boy became a burden in her eyes, till one day she spoke thus to him: ‘See, there is food for many days to come. Stay here within the shelter of the hut. I go to seek our brother, and when I have found him I shall return hither.’”

_ Yet she never returned…  _ the dark hedgehog thought with a sense of pity for the little boy.

His whispers grew louder, into a quiet, calm raspy voice. He didn’t catch the way the blue boy stirred beneath his sheets to the sound, ebony one’s back turned to the sleeping hedgehog.

“When the snows began and the wind howled, then his stomach felt empty and his limbs cold, and he hid in trees all the night, and only crept out to eat what the wolves had left behind.”

Sonic was still in this bizarre state between dreams and reality, however, he could register the dark hedgehog’s voice, the one that made his heart flutter with every note and breath he took….

But then, the words the striped hedgehog muttered were so familiar, each sentence hit so close to home and he couldn’t comprehend what was going on so he rubbed his eyes, and the cerulean lids slid open at last to stare at his room in puzzlement.

Shadow’s back was facing him, his dark counterpart sitting comfortably in front of his desk, head slowly bent over as he spoke.

“And by-and-by, having no other friends, he sought their company, and sat by while they devoured their prey, and they grew to know him, and gave him food. And without them he would have died in the snow.”

“Shadow?” The blue boy spoke softly, hesitantly.

This caused an immediate reaction from the other mobian. His head snapped upward like a forcefully pulled guitar chord, and he turned around to stare at Sonic with a shock and… was it shame he saw in his gorgeous eyes?

_ Shoot, busted. _

“... I’m sorry. It was pretty boring without Silver here, and with you being asleep, so… I decided to grab a book to read,” Shadow explained, grabbing the book from the desk and showing it to Sonic, “Your room is the only room in the house where I know that books can be, so…”

“Silver has a bookcase, too.”

“... well, now I know.” The dark mobian replied and looked away.

“Hey, it’s fine,” the young speedster said in a calm voice as he approached the other, careful to not put much pressure on his still injured leg. One of the fawn hands landed on Shadow’s arm, massaging the skin there gently, “I’m not upset. Just… surprised, is all.” 

His words were soothing, and yet… was it sadness Shadow heard in there?

“I bought it as a gift for my little brother for his sixth birthday,” there was a smile gracing the pale muzzle, but these beautiful, kind lush eyes looked more and more sad with each word, eventually glistening with moisture and the dark hedgehog knew something was very wrong.

“He used to be bullied a lot for his tails. I thought it could help him to get him a book with a similar start, but better ending, you know. So that he knows that… even if some people don’t see his worth, he’ll eventually find people who will see it and cherish him until the end,” tenor voice crackled like the fire. It was killing him, so Shadow decided not to say more, only moved the other’s head to rest on his shoulder as he nuzzled the pale muzzle affectionately.

Tears fell from the emerald eyes, his body growing hot from the sweet sensations the dark hedgehog brought him.

He didn’t fully break, something about that heat coming from the ebony one’s body refusing to let Sonic go into that harsh, bleak place. Pale, gloveless hands moved to rest on his friend’s chest, stroking any part of the fur they could reach.

“I miss him,” Sonic choked out, “and it’s all my fault. My own, stupid fault.”

Shadow only hummed in response, letting Sonic have his space. One of his hands started gently stroking the blue ear, relishing in the quiet purrs the blue speedster let out despite the how much he was hurting, too.

“He was a pilot, you know,” he muttered out of the blue, “and he was great. Nobody could best him. He sometimes invited me to fly his plane with him but, then, it all went so wrong faster than I could comprehend, and….”

“Shh….” the dark hedgehog silenced him quietly and Sonic let out a quiet sob. It was killing him, he knew that, and he understood it more than anyone else. Which is why his gloved hand moved from his ear to stroke Sonic’s cheek with his thumb.

“I understand, Sonic. I really do.”

He really did, the azure hedgehog saw it in his eyes.

_ Right,  _ Sonic thought,  _ Shadow really does understand. _

Nothing more was said at that moment. Sonic’s sobs quiet down and everything between them became so silent, suddenly. Leaving plenty of room for them to communicate in a more visual manner.

Like the way their eyes connected, and the way their faces inched closer as if in a trance, the way Sonic’s lips slid open expectantly… and the way Shadow yearned for them. He wanted them, he wanted them so much he could scream, and it would be so easy, so right to capture the fawn lips right then and there….

But then, he remembered something. Something vital. Black lids fluttered closed in a pained frown.

“Shadow?” Sonic reacted immediately. Did he do

Something wrong?

But then, his thumb moved up to gently stroke Sonic’s lower lip, the younger male letting out the shaky gasp in response. The dark hedgehog stroke his lip, his ear… nuzzled the side of his face… but did not place that sweet kiss Sonic longed for.

Instead, he pulled away from his confused friend and said, “We should go eat something. If you feel better now, that is.”

The blue hedgehog shook his head and coughed, trying to recollect himself.

“Yeah, sure.”

An hour later Sonic sat at the table with his friend, both eating in silence. Although Shadow’s breakfast quesadillas were one of the tastiest breakfasts Sonic has ever eaten, he couldn’t bring himself to fully focus on the delicious treat, his mind clearly not sure what to concentrate on --recent past, less-than-recent past, present?

“How is your ankle?” Shadow broke the silence, his voice and posture stiff as a board. All of it was so…  _ awkward. _

“Nothing I couldn’t handle.” The blue speedster assured before taking another bite of his food.

“Good,” Shadow cleared his throat before continuing, “We should change your bandages after we’re done with breakfast.”

“Yeah.”

The young hedgehog bit the inside of his cheek, nervous. Shadow has been here for two weeks already and they have only gotten more comfortable with each other. So why was he nervous now?

He did not get to contemplate on the matter much, however, for there was a knock at the door. It sounded more like a bang honestly, and Sonic had a pretty good idea regarding who could it be.

“G.U.N! Open up this instant!” A familiar voice yelled from the other side and Sonic rolled his eyes, walked up to the door, completely ignoring the way Shadow shrieked and looked at him in shock.

The doors slid open and on the other side of the doorway Shadow noticed a male red echidna, dressed in a navy police suit. His smile was cocky as he raised the sunglasses to rest on his temple, revealing confident purple eyes.

“Knuckles,” the cobalt hedgehog started, rubbing his temple in annoyance, “This joke does not surprise me anymore, however, you nearly ruined my stainless opinion in my new friend’s eyes.”

“Pshhh,” Knuckles chuckled lightly and pat Sonic on his shoulder, “You and not ruining your rep? Gimme a break, man,” the policeman let himself inside the house and took a look around, “So, how is your bereavement leave going? Are you holdin’ up?” Violet eyes turned gentle all of a sudden.

Sonic stiffened. He hadn’t told Shadow about any of that and the dark hedgehog was puzzled, it showed. He wasn’t sure if he’s okay having this conversation with Knuckles in his presence. Then again… it is something he always wanted Shadow to know, just wasn’t sure how to bring it up. Besides, after what happened today morning there was no point in hiding things further, he guessed.

“Yeah, I’m quite alright. Busy day at work or is that uniform just for show?”

“Hmph, ya wish. Now we have twice as much work now that you’re gone. We manage, though.”

“I’m sorry.” The azure hedgehog replied, remorse clear in his eyes.

“Don’t be. We all miss him, but you were the one closest to Tails. Hell, you lived with him for Chaos’ sake. It’s only natural you are going to need a while. Take all the time you need. And hey, if ya ever wanna talk about it, I’m still here, kay man?”

Sonic only nodded in response.

“Good. Now don’t give me that kicked puppy look. You’re Sonic the Hedgehog, you take bad guys to jail and good boys to bed. That look doesn’t suit you,” Knuckles teased and Sonic smirked in response.

“There we go, that’s the Sonic we know and love,” the male echidna praised, “now if you excuse me, I have some business in the—“

“Don’t finish Knuckles please.”

“Alright, alright” He laughed proceeded upstairs.

Shadow blinked a couple of times, trying to get a hold of what just happened.

_ Okay, so a random cop, apparently Sonic’s coworker showed up at our doorstep, causing me to have more questions than participants of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Sounds legit. _

“He’s… fiery.”

“Ha ha. Very punny.” Sonic tried to sound serious, but unsurprisingly failed at it, laughing just as he was about to finish his sentence. “But yeah, he is.”

For a while, there was silence, and Sonic felt the tension in the air; Shadow demanded answers, he knew that. The blue speedster took a deep breath.

“Soo. I work as a detective, which Knuckles made already more than obvious and—“

“It’s not a vacation.”

“Yeah.” He choked out. It felt so hard like he was chewing stones.

“You took a bereavement leave, I understand that. You didn’t have to lie to me. But… I’m sure you had a reason, so?” Shadow asked and crossed his arms, expecting explanations.

“Well… I didn’t want to admit I was falling apart, I guess. When Tails…” he  _ still _ couldn’t bring himself to say that word, “... I was lonely, so I sent out that message in a bottle because suddenly it felt like I don’t have enough people in my life. But with time, I started realizing how many people I still have left that care about me, and just. I really tried to keep it all to myself, not wanting to make other people worry about me. And, then I met you, we became close, and, when you said you’re going to visit me I decided I did not want you to see me as someone who can barely hold it together, because that’s not who I usually am.” Sonic looked away in shame, “still… I’m really sorry I lied to you.”

Shadow took a deep breath.

_ People make mistakes. As long as he’s genuinely sorry…. _

“Apologies accepted. Under one condition, though.” Shadow said while walking up to the blue hedgehog.

“Yeah?”

“First let’s start with questions: is that echidna boy single and does he have any interest in women?”

The blue speedster’s brows frowned in consternation. These questions were pretty random and he had no idea what Shadow was going on about.

“Yes and yes. Why?”

Shadow smirked.

“I just so happen to know this charming, lovely female bat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I am aware many of you will want my head after this chapter, and I’m truly sorry, my mind goes to scary places sometimes ;w;  
> By the way, since my current beta (whom I love dearly for putting up with me) has a LOT of responsibilities I decided I could use some more help, just to lay some tension off their shoulders c: if you’re super awesome at American English, well, better than a non-native speaker little me anyway, and are willing to help me out, why not message me here or Tumblr? I’ll be utterly grateful!  
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter and as always, peace guys!


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